


Solangelo Week 2018

by wordsofink



Series: solangelo one-shots [9]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Awkwardness, Breakfast, Dates, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Getting Back Together, Happy Ending, Implied homophobia, Lie Detector, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Old Friends, Original Character - Freeform, Past Character Death, Past break-up, Protective Nico, Romantic Moments, Sad Will, Solangelo Week 2018, Some angst, Vampire!Nico, Wedding Planning, aged-up, bowling, briefly mentioned/implied abuse, businessman!Nico, engagement/marriage au, mention of suicide, minor mention of kidnapping, more kidnapping, nothing graphic, one shots, promise rings, roommate au, smol Nico, solangelo, some mention of blood, sort of hero/captive au, super villain (kind of)!nico, superhero (kind of)!will, teacher!Will, tol Will, tol/smol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-06-26 21:40:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15671829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsofink/pseuds/wordsofink
Summary: a series of fics for Solangelo Week 2018 - please let me know if anything needs to be tagged1: detect happiness - lie detectors and friendship2: i do - nico's getting married3: too cute to be evil - one way to get a date4: snapshots (5) - tol/smol shots5: sucks without you - vampire nico and boyfriend will6: forever with you - will's birthday*characters are not mine unless otherwise stated*





	1. detect happiness

**Author's Note:**

> Hi :) Just some fics for Solangelo Week 2018 - I'm not sure how many of the prompts I'll be able to finish, but I've probably done a fic or two for most of the prompts haha if any of you wanted to check out the other fics in my solangelo series :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> roommate au (sort of)
> 
> Will drags Nico to a lie detector place. Questions range from silly to serious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: mention of past character death, mention of thinking of suicide, themes of depression

“This is stupid,” Nico mumbles. Even though his roommate is sitting right beside him, he doesn’t really feel the need to be quiet about it. After all, they’re at some stupid lie detector place that Nico’s sure is just a giant scam for their money. (He made Will pay for the experience.) “I bet they’re just trying to get information from us so they can steal our identities and stuff us in some dingy basement.”

Will raises his eyebrows at this last part. “I’m thinking you watch too many horror and crime shows,” he says pleasantly.

Nico just huffs, crossing his arms. He knows he’s being difficult. That’s kind of the idea.

He’s known Will all of a month, and already, he can tell that this is going to be a long semester. He knows why Will signed them up for it. Something about getting to know Nico better and how a lie detector would filter out all of Nico’s baloney for him. Because Nico had decided before even meeting Will that he wasn’t going to get attached to his roommate.

(And upon finding out how utterly handsome and adorable Will could be, he doubled his efforts. Because he wasn’t going to fall for yet another poster-perfect straight guy who was just going to become a wingman if anything. Nico didn’t need that in his life.)

“I think it’ll be fun, too,” Will says. “And you look like you could use some fun.” Nico rolls his eyes. He had fun. Will was just having fun at the same time so he never saw it, Nico reasons. Nico didn’t think that his social life was lacking at all. He had friends, and they understood that he didn’t always want to hang out them. So they contented themselves to inviting Nico to things he rarely ever went to.

Will just had yet to learn and accept that.

They get called back into the room, and Will grins. Nico can tell he’s excited. He’s practically bouncing, and Nico has to look away before the excitement becomes contagious. The room is bigger than their shared dorm room and pleasantly furnished. Will curls up in a cushy armchair while Nico takes a couch. There’s a box thing sitting on a table in the center of the room that Nico assumes is the famed lie detector.

“Okay, guys. You’ve got three hours,” a man says. “We’ll let you know when you’re down to half an hour. Feel free to anything in the fridge, and the bathroom is just through that door. And you’re more than welcome to leave before your time is up if you want.”

Nico wonders how many people do that. He wonders if he could do that. With the door shut, he turns to look at Will. Aside from the lie detector, the room looks like most sitting rooms. It’s slightly cushier and there’s no TV. But there are windows that outlook a small patch of grass.

“So, do you want to go first?” Will asks. “Or shall I?” Nico doesn’t respond, so Will takes up the gauntlet. “Start easy first, I guess. What are you studying?”

Nico sighs. He’s so tired of answering this question, but he supposes he’s been putting it off for a month. “English with a concentration in classic literature,” he says. He hasn’t quite decided on a minor yet. “What are you studying?”

He’s thinking it’s something in the medical field with the types of textbooks that are laying around their room. “I want to be a pediatrician,” Will says. “Majoring in biology right now. A minor in psychology because why not?” He grins. “If you could be any animal, what would you be?”

“A cat,” Nico says automatically. It’s what his sister always used to compare him to. Because he liked sitting in sunny areas and napping throughout the day. It could also be because he hardly cared for others’ opinions. He feels a familiar pang in his chest. “Or maybe a turtle,” he adds.

Will seems pleased with this answer. “I’d like to be a tiger, I think. Or maybe a dolphin.” Nico rolls his eyes. This whole thing is so ridiculous. So far, the box hasn’t done anything other than sit there. It’s almost like those salt rock things that are supposed to be soothing and calming. It glows faintly, changing colors as they question each other back and forth.

“Do you think this is real?” Nico asks. Will nods. “Because it seems kind of fake. Like, where’s the lie detector?”

Will shrugs. “I thought it was the box. But it hasn’t done anything.” He pauses. “Maybe we should lie. See what happens?”

It’s slightly daring. Nico half hopes that the floor drops out from under him. “Um, I hate corn,” Nico says. It’s a lame lie, but he doesn’t really feel like exposing himself. The box abruptly changes from a light yellow to red instead of fading like it had been doing.

“Is that it?” Will asks. “I have five siblings.” The box had started turning pink, but now it automatically turns red. “It’s nice that it doesn’t buzz at us. Of course, I hadn’t been paying attention. Have you lied yet?”

Nico shakes his head, and Will grins at him. “No,” Nico says aloud. The red is fading into orange now. It seems okay with Nico’s answer.

“Have you ever brushed your teeth in the shower?” Will asks. Nico raises his eyebrows.

“Um, no. Have you?” The idea sounds gross, and it’s never even crossed his mind.

“Once or twice,” Will says, shrugging. “When you have four siblings, you kind of have to multitask sometimes. Especially if there are only two bathrooms.”

Nico feels another pang. He and Bianca used to fight over the bathroom. Now he could literally go at any time of the day. Two bathrooms for two lonely people. That was one thing he appreciated and hated about college. That he could literally go nowhere and still see people.

“Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?” Nico asks. He glances at his watch. They’ve been here for an hour. While Will tells him about the one time he got pulled over, Nico wanders over to the fridge. His mouth is getting dry with all of the talking.

“You have a sister, right?” Will asks. Nico chokes on his water. “I mean, I’ve seen a girl who looks like you in some of your photos. But you never talk about her. Not that you really talk about anyone,” Will adds. He looks at Nico, his smile softer, more serious somehow. Of course, Will would have a serious smile.

“I do,” Nico says. “Or did. Whatever.” The lie detector fades from blue to green. He thinks that there should be a word for it when someone’s still in your memory but not in your life, when all that’s left of them is moments and past tense. Maybe there’s a German word for it. He doubts Will would know it.

He expects Will to say sorry or to apologize in some capacity. But Will just nods. “I think it’s whichever you want,” he says quietly. “Because she’ll never really be gone. Not for you, anyway. Because you love her. I mean, I think you do. And so she’s still in your memories. And your heart. She’s not completely gone, I mean.” He’s stumbling over his words for the first time since Nico’s met him.

Nico smiles. Will’s sort of managed to convey how he feels. Bianca will never be gone even if she’s dead. Because Nico will keep her alive in his memories.

“Have you ever lost someone?” Nico asks. Because sympathy doesn’t extend to understanding. Will sounds like he knows what he’s talking about.

Will shrugs. “My grandma. We were pretty close before she passed.” He sniffles a little, grabbing a tissue. Nico feels like he should say something, but all of the words have left him. Because he knows a sorry won’t bring them back. He knows anything he could say, Will’s already heard before.

“I didn’t mean to bring down the mood,” Will says after a moment. He wipes his eyes, pulling a smile back onto his face. Nico shrugs. It’s almost nice to be so real with someone right now. It’s funny how he doesn’t feel pressured with the lie detector in the room. He doesn’t feel like he has to be truthful. He just wants to be.

Because maybe he’s finally tired of hiding behind a facade of being okay. Maybe he wants to be seen.

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” Nico asks slowly. Because he knows now that Will isn’t all sunshine and smiles. He’s human, too. He can hurt and be hurt. He can cry.

“Wow,” Will says. “Um, I once sold all of my brother’s Pokemon cards so that I could buy a really nice guitar.” He blushes at this, ducking his head a little. “And I felt so horrible that I tried to replicate each and every one of them. Except, I’m a horrible artist.”

Nico smiles a little. He’s seen Will’s anatomy diagrams. He knows Will’s artistic abilities. Will’s looking at Nico now, like he expects him to answer his own question. Nico’s heart quickens a little as he thinks of everything he’s done. He considers telling Will of the time he cut his sister’s hair in her sleep or when he tried to drive his parent’s car when he was twelve without their knowing.

But that wouldn’t be the worst thing.

“I used to hate myself,” Nico says slowly. He watches the box turn a light pink. “I kind of still do. But it’s bearable now.” He’s not sure how to put this into words. He’s never told anyone this before. Not even his parents.

“Nico,” Will says after a few minutes of silence. He’s chewing on his lip, thinking over his words. “Have you ever wanted to kill yourself?”

Nico shouldn’t be so surprised that Will’s guessed it. He’s seen Will’s talent for reading people in action.

“No,” he says, one quick syllable. The box turns a deep red, and Will scoots closer to Nico. He offers a smile. Nico takes it. He feels so fragile right now.

“It’s okay to hurt,” Will says softly. “But you can’t lose sight of what makes you happy.”

For a moment, Nico wants to yell at Will. Tell him that Bianca was what made him happy and that she was gone. But as the moment passes, he remembers Bianca’s laugh, her smile, how she loved to press flowers, dance in the kitchen. And while he misses Bianca dearly, he thinks it’s maybe the love that he misses the most. He misses her smiling at him, laughing at something he said, him picking flowers for her, her trying to get him to dance with her.

He misses having someone to love and love him back. Because he’s pushed away all of his friends. His parents are distant. He left for college and hardly looked back. (And maybe the real reason he pushed Will away was that the smile on his face and the way he danced through life reminded him of Bianca a little too much. That him avoiding straight guys was just an excuse. Because he’d found out that Will was bisexual.)

“I don’t know what makes me happy.” Every happy thought somehow leads back to Bianca, guilt and grief pinging against Nico’s heart over and over. He doesn’t even notice when Will moved over to hug Nico. But he recognizes the feeling of being held, and he leans into it.

“We can start with this,” Will says. Nico can tell he’s smiling again. “What makes you smile?”

Nico’s not sure if Will wants him to answer out loud, so he doesn’t. Instead, he thinks of Will bringing him coffee on the weekends and blasting his music so loud the RA has to tell him to shut it off. He thinks of his English professor’s comments on his most recent paper, how she praised him for favoring the antagonist and defending him in a well-written essay. He thinks of how his mom still calls him every week even though they don’t know what to say to each other, but it’s comforting to know she still thinks of him.

“There’s a smile,” Will says. And as he says it, Nico realizes he’s smiling. A real smile. Not just because Will’s being goofy or he feels like he should. But just because. Because he’s still living. Life is happening. And he can smile.

“You’re such a dork,” Nico says because he feels like he has to say something. Will pulls back, but his shoulder remains against Nico’s.

“A hungry dork,” Will says. “Want to get some ice cream? Or do you hate ice cream?”

Nico laughs. “What kind of heathen hates ice cream?”

“I knew you were lying that first week! And now we’ve got to make up for lost time. I know the best ice cream place in town. And then we’re going to go and buy plants because I had no idea you were such a gardener.” Nico rolls his eyes as Will leaps from the couch, stretching.

Maybe this wasn’t such a stupid idea after all.


	2. i do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico's getting married. Will's upset about it.
> 
> (like a ten years later + engagement/marriage fic) (though I might write a marriage fic later in the week - no promises)

Will stares at the piece of mail in his hands. He thinks his eyes have glazed over at this point, but he can’t make himself unread those words. His hands shake a little. Today had been just an ordinary day until it hadn’t. He reads the words once more.

You are cordially invited to the marriage of Nico di Angelo and Joseph Mullens, etc. etc..

Will blinks, scrubs his eyes. Reads it again.

_Nico di Angelo_ is getting married. Nico di Angelo is _getting married_. Nico di Angelo is getting _married_.

Will finally puts down the invitation slowly, carefully, to make sure that it doesn’t somehow blow away. Disappear like a bad dream. He blinks again. For a moment, he doesn’t know what to do. His thoughts are tumbling around too much in his head for him to catch one. Then he does the only thing he can think of doing.

He calls his mom, explaining the situation. Immediately, she asks him the dreaded question. “Are you going?”

Will lets out a breath. Breathes in again. Of course, he’s going. That wasn’t ever the question. The question was how Will let this happen, how he didn’t see it coming. He hangs up, his fingers immediately dialing Nico’s number, muscle memory even after all of these years. He doesn’t even check to see if it’s still the same one as before. He hears the ringing. He feels the long-familiar pang in his chest. He hangs up.

His heart thanks him for being a coward. His mind is beating him up. He sets the phone down, getting up to take a hot shower.

It’s been six years since he last saw Nico di Angelo, and now he’s getting married.

-

It’s only been two months, and already Nico’s getting tired with all of the wedding details. He’d known it was going to be a thing, but he didn’t know it was going to be a Thing. He sighs. He wishes he could just go down to the courthouse and have this over with, get it all taken care of, checked off.

His phone has been ringing nonstop all week (because no one has landlines anymore), and he’s also had to look at one too many color swatches to determine to wedding palette (blue and teal green). Honestly, if he’d known it was this much work getting married, he might not have said yes.

Well, that was unfair to Joseph. Who deserved nothing short of a perfect wedding. But it was every bit as stressful as all of the websites warned. And maybe more. Because Nico was shunted with the responsibility right now due to Joseph having to work overtime so that they could afford to have a wedding.

(Nico’s dad had offered to pay for the entire thing, but Nico didn’t want to start his life with Joseph on the wings of his father's generosity. So the stubborn side had rejected the offer, and now he was stuck trying to pick out a palette and a good caterer [and whatever else weddings required] without Joseph there.)

Nico sighs as his phone starts ringing again. He really doesn’t want to pick it up and maybe the person on the other end understands because the phone goes silent. He glances at the number. For some reason, it looks familiar. He wonders if it’s an old contact he used to have. When he’s gotten this new phone, some of his contacts hadn’t transferred over. (The phone guy said that happened sometimes.)

He runs his hands over his face, a habit he picked up from one of his ex-boyfriends a few years ago. He’s so tired. All he wants to do right now is sleep. Or just forget all of this wedding stuff. Except, he can’t. Because then the wedding will never happen. Joseph is counting on Nico to take care of the larger details so that things will run smoother when Joseph has time to help.

After all, isn’t Nico supposed to know what his fiancé would want in a wedding? His eyes pass over the binders that Piper and Jason somehow still had left over from their own wedding four years ago. Nico’s partially thankful for them. They narrow down his search, but the thickness of them terrifies him. What if Nico makes the wrong choice? What if one can’t make it? What if they all can’t make it? What if he forgets something as important as the caterer? Or the centerpieces?

He takes a deep breath. He knows Joseph would forgive him, sweep in and take care of it in that way of his. He was always good at things like that, cleaning up Nico’s messes and making him feel better about them with a kiss to his cheek, a hand on his back. Nico wishes he had that now. He could really use some kisses or even just some cuddling. Or some gosh darn handholding.

His phone rings again, and he’s relieved when it’s Jason. “Yo, Nico. Wanna make space in your busy schedule to grab some food with me and Pipes?” Nico’s already out the door before he’s said yes.

-

Will paces around his apartment. It’s been two days since he received the invite, two days since his past came crashing into the present. And he’s still no closer to the answer. He knows he’s going to the wedding. He can’t just not go. Not when it’s Nico. Even if it’s not their wedding.

Will’s already done a very extensive FaceBook and other social media search. He’s found out that Joseph isn’t really into social media, but sometimes Nico posts pictures of the two of them. (He’s still Nico’s friend over social media, but he’s forbidden himself to ever check Nico’s accounts.) Joseph’s every bit as handsome as Will would imagine. And he sounds every bit as perfect, too.

He used to serve in the Peace Corps before he probably went back to school. And now he’s some very professional and successful businessman. Will had been on his way to becoming a very successful doctor, but after he and Nico had gone their separate ways, he abruptly changed career paths. He is now a science teacher at an elementary school in town.

Will sighs, calling Cecil. Fifteen minutes later, he finds himself at their usual hangout - some greasy American diner that has the best French fries Will’s ever tasted. He goes to their regular booth and gives the waitress his order. She smiles politely, though Will bets that she already knows what he was going to get. When she comes back with his water, he orders a strawberry milkshake, surprising her.

“A milkshake?” Cecil asks. “You haven’t had one of those in forever.” Will shrugs. The novelty of milkshakes had been ruined for him. But right now he just needed something loaded in sweets, and he wasn’t going to get that from a peanut butter cookie. “Are you feeling alright, man? I know this whole Nico thing has you shaken up, but you’ll pull through.”

Will shrugs again. Their food and his milkshake arrive. He takes to eating with a ferocity that comes with wanting to avoid the hard questions. Cecil fixes him with a look when he sucks down a good portion of his milkshake in one breath. Will has to wait for the brain freeze to clear before he can process what Cecil’s just said.

“I want to go to the wedding,” Will says quietly. Cecil nods. He’d been Will’s friend forever, and he wasn’t going to judge him now. “But I’m not sure I can handle seeing him. Especially at a wedding. It’s not like I just ran into him at the store, you know?”

“Yeah, but you guys, like, twenty minutes from each other. I’m surprised you haven’t run into each other yet.” Will liked it like that. He knew it was cowardly or maybe even stupid, but he knew that he wouldn’t have to pass any of Nico’s usual haunts on the way to the elementary school. He’d have to pass three of them on the way to the hospital.

“We aren’t in the same circles anymore,” Will says. He’s finished his milkshake, and now he’s stuffing his face with French fries. “He’s a fancy businessman, and I’m a teacher. It’s not like he’d ever come to a place like this.” Will gestures around. Cecil nods.

“True, true. But if you were together, he might.” Will doesn’t understand where Cecil’s coming from. They’d discovered this place when Cecil’s crappy car had broken down one night, and they were hungry. “Look, either you go to the wedding. Or you don’t. You don’t even have to talk to him. You could just show up, drink his champagne and leave.”

Will finishes off his fries. He’s not sure he could ever be in the same room as Nico and not talk to him. (Once upon a time, he was sure he could never be in the same room and not kiss Nico. Now, that job was taken by some smart man named Joseph.)

“You know I can’t do that.”

“So don’t,” Cecil says. He pushes his plate towards Will. “Here, eat some lettuce or something. You need something healthy in your diet.” Will rolls his eyes, but he accepts half of Cecil’s cheeseburger, pulling off the tomato. “Look, Will, I know you two didn’t end well. But one of these days you’re going to have to move on.”

Will thought he had moved on. He’d sold the apartment, got a new job, tried to erase Nico from his thoughts. He feels that pang again, and he knows Cecil’s right. One of these days, he’s either going to end up a man who is decidedly not Nico or he’s going to end up alone.

-

Nico smiles when he hears the door open. Joseph had gotten off of work early tonight - which really meant that he was home before Nico went to bed. Nico’s waiting on the couch, Joseph’s dinner freshly heated up and waiting on the kitchen table.

“Hey, Nico,” Joseph says. He picks up his plate, moving to sit beside Nico on the couch. Nico pulls a blanket over the two of them, scooting closer to Joseph. He’s missed this the last few weeks. Joseph leans over to kiss Nico’s cheeks before starting his dinner. Nico yawns. “You didn’t have to wait up for me.”

Nico shakes his head. “No, I wanted to. I’ve missed you.” No matter how many texts or calls Joseph can spare, it’s not enough. With the distance, Nico gets clingy and lonely. The TV is off, and Nico lays his head on Joseph’s shoulder. “I started looking at caterers today,” Nico says. Joseph hums.

“What are you thinking? Seafood? Pasta? I still stand by my idea that you should just do the cooking.” Nico rolls his eyes.

“That’s too much food.” Joseph smiles.

“Well, maybe we could have a smaller dinner. Just close friends.” Nico shrugs. He’s thought about having a smaller wedding, a smaller party. But they just have a lot of friends and family. And even if they cut some corners, there are still a lot of people and someone’s feelings might get hurt. “Oh, and my aunts just RSVP’ed this morning, so we can check them off.”

Nico nods. The guest list hangs up on their fridge. So far, half of the list has said they can make it. It’s a little overwhelming to see just how many friends and family members they have.

“I’ll check them off later,” Nico says. Right now, he just wants to snuggle with Joseph. He’s missed having him beside him at night. The night gets lonely without someone there.

They sit in silence while Joseph finishes his dinner. It’s been so long since they’ve been able to just sit down and talk, but Nico doesn’t know what to say. His mind is full of wedding planning and color swatches, what centerpieces Joseph might like. He can’t even remember what they used to talk about before they got engaged.

“I’m going to head to bed, darling,” Joseph says. He kisses Nico’s cheek, standing up. Nico resists the urge to pull Joseph back onto the couch. “Don’t stay up too late.”

Nico listens to Joseph go to bed. He should really be heading to bed himself (more time to snuggle), but he can’t make himself. Instead, he checks Joseph’s aunts off on the list and cleans up the dishes. It’s all so domestic, and Nico’s not sure he’s ready for it. He was taken off guard when Joseph proposed, but he couldn’t even dream of saying no. They’ve been living together for a year, though, so what else were they supposed to do? And he loves Joseph so why wouldn’t it be an issue?

Nico chalks it up to his exhaustion. He tips his head into the bedroom, smiling a little when he sees Joseph curled up on the bed. Nico blows him a kiss before heading to take a long shower.

-

Will’s doing it. The phone is ringing, and Will’s more worried about not passing out than what he’s going to say to Nico. (Because Nico’s going to answer, right?) The phone keeps ringing, and Will’s about two breaths away from hanging up when he hears a voice.

“Hello?”

“Um, hi,” Will says. “Is this Nico di Angelo?”

“Yes, speaking.” Will smiles a little despite himself. Nico always hated talking on the phone, so he compensated by being overly formal.

“I can go to the wedding. I mean, I’m RSVPing. Party of one.” Will stops himself at that. He’s not sure why he’s so nervous. He’s just going to a wedding of his ex-boyfriend and fiancé. Nothing awkward about that.

“May I have your name? I’m afraid I don’t have this number.”

Will feels that pang again, but why would Nico keep his number after all of these years? It wasn’t like he was going to ever need it. “Will Solace.” He wonders if the invitation was an accident, a slip of the hand.

“Oh,” Nico says. It’s a surprised sound. “Of course. You’re on the list now. Thanks for calling.” Will wonders if this is how Nico talks to all of his business clients. There’s another pause. “How’ve you been, Will?”

“Um, good. I mean, pretty good.” He shrugs. He’s been okay. He enjoys what he does, and he likes his life. But recently, he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Nico. Even in his dreams, he’s reliving past dates and little moments that would hurt less to forget. Maybe going to this wedding was a bad idea. Will lets out a breath. “How have you been?”

“Good. Good, yeah,” Nico says. “I’m getting married.” This last part sounds the least certain, Nico’s voice wobbling a little at the end. Like he’s either going to laugh or cry.

“Yeah, congratulations, Nico. I’m happy for you.”

He wonders if Nico’s smiling on the other end. “What about you? Any special someone? You’re welcome to bring them to them with you as a plus one.”

“No one,” Will says. “Unless you count Cecil,” he adds, trying for a joke. It falls a little flat. He hears Nico let out a breath.

“Would it be too awkward if I said I wanted to see you again? Like, to catch up or something. Just over coffee or whatever.” Now Nico’s rambling, and Will isn’t sure that it’s still a nice thing that he has that effect on Nico.

“Maybe, but I’d like to see you again.” He hopes he doesn’t sound too wistful. Nico always told him that he wore his heart out on his sleeve, and he never minded. But he’s not sure he wants Nico to know how much their breakup still hurts him.

“How about Saturday? Wait. Are you even still in town? I’m sorry I really haven’t kept up.”

“I’m still in town,” Will says. He runs a hand over his face, pulling the phone away for a moment as he sighs. He never found the point of social media because all of his friends already knew what was happening. And his parents called often enough to be updated.

“We could meet at that coffee place. You know the one with that scary teacup outside.” Will laughs a little at that. The teacup was a bit frightening.

“Yeah, around eleven or so?” He hears Nico hum.

“Thanks for calling, Will. I’ll see you Saturday.” Will doesn’t even realize he’s hung up until it’s been five minutes with no voice.

For a moment, Will feels giddy. He’s going to see Nico after all of these years. They’re going to get coffee together and talk, and Nico said he wanted to see Will. It takes another moment for this all to catch up to Will. Because what if this is the real goodbye? What if Nico just needs some closure? What if Will can’t handle seeing Nico again, another man’s ring on the finger where Will always imagined his to be?

Will wants to curl up and freak out, but he has to get his lesson plans ready.

-

Nico’s more nervous than he’s ever been. (Maybe even more nervous than when he had to get three of his baby teeth pulled.) He gets there early in case Will is on time and chooses a seat by the window. He’s not sure why he asked Will to meet him other than that he kind of wanted to see Will again, catch up.

After two minutes of deciding whether or not he should go ahead and order a coffee, he sees Will walking through the door. And it doesn’t seem like Will’s changed a bit since they last saw each other. (Which basically means that Will can still take his breath away, leaving his heart racing even just by being in the same room, make him smile for absolutely no reason.) Nico is starting to regret this.

“Hey,” Will says, giving a small wave. He’s adorable when he’s shy and awkward, though Nico shuts down that train of thought. He’s wearing an engagement ring. He can’t be appreciating other men. Especially Will. “Wanna sit down or grab a coffee first?”

Nico wants to sit down, but his feet take him to the counter. There he orders himself a tea and stops short of ordering Will’s drink. Will leans a bit over him as he gives his order, stepping back when he produces the money to pay. Nico’s about to protest, but he doesn’t want to get into an awkward discussion about how they’re not on a date so Will shouldn’t pay for him.

“So, long time, no see,” Nico says. Will hums. He’s got his usual, a hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin. “I don’t really know what to talk about.”

Will’s cheeks redden as he swallows his bite of muffin. “I’m not really sure either.” He pauses. “How about what you’re doing now. Other than getting married, of course.” Will gives a little laugh, and he has to take a sip of his drink to keep himself from choking.

“I’m still with my dad’s business right now,” Nico says. He’d really rather not be, but he’s not sure what else he’d want to do. (Well, that’s a lie. When he makes enough money of his own, he’d like to open up a little diner or cafe or something. Not that anyone would really approve.) “Still doing whatever he does.” He would like to pretend that he knows what his dad does, but he’s never lied to Will and he’s not starting now. “What are you doing? Are you a famous doctor now?”

Will shakes his head, shrugging. “Far from famous. I’m an elementary school science teacher currently.” Nico has to work on not raising his eyebrows. He’d always imagined Will out there saving people and curing cancer. He never imagined him working the long hours of a teacher with only the meager sum. “Took a bit of a career change a few years ago.”

Nico nods. He sips his tea as they continue talking. The conversation is a little stunted here and there, but they somehow manage to fall back into their old groove. Nico finds himself talking about Joseph and the wedding planning. He catches Will looking at his ring, and he wonders if he’s imagined the pained expression that flits across Will’s face.

“It’s a bit fancier than I would have liked,” Nico says, holding out his hand for Will to see. (Will’s breath is brushing over Nico’s fingertips. Like he’s about to kiss them. He doesn’t.) “But it’s Joseph’s grandmother’s ring, so it’s special to him.”

Will nods. He looks a bit sad. Nico pulls his hand away before he starts imagining Will kissing it. He’s a bit ashamed by how much he wants Will to kiss him right now. He shouldn’t be having these thoughts. He’s practically a married man right now.

“Are you seeing anyone?” Nico asks.

Will shakes his head. “Nope. Still waiting for that perfect someone, you know?” He tries to quirk a smile. “Guess I didn’t get quite as lucky in the romance department.”

Nico rolls his eyes. Will was basically a Greek god in a mortal disguise. “Maybe everyone’s just scared you’re too good for them.” Will laughs, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. Nico senses that he’s missing something by the way Will’s acting. “I’m sorry if it seems like I’m prying.”

Will shakes his head slowly. “No. I’m just a lonely schoolteacher.” He shrugs. “Guess it’s okay. Now I don’t have to split my time between dating and grading homework.” He pauses. “How’d you meet Joseph?”

Nico had met Joseph during a business deal. It didn’t have any of the makings of a romantic movie, but somehow they made it work. Joseph had asked Nico out for coffee to discuss some details. He’d ended up kissing Nico before they were finished. And now they were getting engaged. It didn’t feel as right as Nico had imagined it would, but he’s sure it will when the chaos of the wedding planning dies down.

“I’m happy for you, Nico,” Will says. HIs eyes crinkle a little bit, and Nico nods.

Later, as they’re leaving, Nico almost follows Will to his car before remembering that they came separately. He waves instead, sighing when he sees Will pull out of the parking lot. It almost looks like Will’s crying. Nico wishes he knew what to do to help, but he walked out of Will’s life years ago. It’s no longer his privilege.

-

Will’s not sure why they keep doing this - meeting up. Because he needs to stop seeing Nico if he’s ever going to move on. Every time he makes Nico laugh or smile, it feels almost like they’re dating again, and then Will has to remind himself that they’re not. And it hurts. Because Will wishes it was him who kissed Nico goodnight and woke up to his sleepy face every morning.

Today, for some reason, they’re going cake testing. Will agreed to go along only because today was technically a teacher workday and because he found it hard to say no to Nico. (He also really liked cake.) He’s meeting Nico at some bakery downtown, and he’s given himself strict orders to remain professional. He can’t let Nico know how much it’s hurting him to just be casual like this.

“Why isn’t Joseph doing this with you?” Will asks once they’ve been seated. Nico glances up from his phone after texting a furious message.

“He’s working a lot of overtime right now,” Nico says. “And I just hate eating cake by myself.” Will nods like this explains everything. But why couldn’t Nico ask Jason or Percy or their wives? And why was Joseph working so much? Weren’t weddings something people did with each other? Did Nico even want to get married? (The last question was merely wishful thinking.)

They start sampling cakes, comparing notes and textures. For a few moments, Will almost forgets that he’s helping plan another man’s wedding. He feels that pang again, and Nico gently touches his arm.

“Are you okay, Will? It’s okay if you don’t want to eat any more cake. We’ve tried a lot today.”

Will shakes his head, trying not to pay attention to how Nico’s engagement ring is resting against his arm. If only he’d given Nico that ring.

“I’m okay. Just tired. I stayed up pretty late grading some homework.” Nico nods.

“I didn’t mean to take up your day off,” Nico says. “If you want to go, you’re welcome to.” Will shrugs, blinking. The words coming out of Nico’s mouth are too familiar to the ones he used to break up with Will, just way nicer. He wonders if Nico even remembers how he did it, pitting everything Will had worked so hard for against him (including Nico).

“I’m okay,” Will repeats. “Just tired. I don’t mind staying.” Nico nods, smiling at him. He moves his hand to push his plate away.

“We could do something else, maybe? Or you can come look at what I’ve got so far for the wedding.” Will shrugs. He’d much rather not, but a part of him wants to say yes if only to spend more time with Nico. “I can make us lunch. I went grocery shopping yesterday.”

Will nods, smiling. He’s always loved Nico’s cooking, even if it’s just dream food now. It’s still amazing. He doesn’t know what to do with himself as he drives to Nico’s (and Joseph’s) apartment. He’s nervous and excited, even though he feels like he’s intruding.

Nico’s (and Joseph’s) apartment is similar to Will and Nico’s old one, but it’s clear that this one is more expensive. The kitchen counters are smooth and modern, the appliances stainless steel. Nico gives him a small tour before starting on lunch. Will sits at the bar, watching.

He’s always loved watching Nico cook, something about it seems almost magical. He watches Nico cut the chicken, chop the vegetables, throw it all together. “It’s just a simple stir-fry,” Nico had said, but Will’s pretty much drooling. Nico plates it over rice, smiling when he’s finished. Will can’t wait to dig in.

They sit at the bar, careful not to bump elbows as they eat. They talk here and there, but Will’s main focus is the food. It’s been so long since he’s eaten Nico’s food; it all feels like a dream right now.

“So, how’d you get into teaching?” Nico asks.

Will shrugs. “Kind of just liked the idea. I’ve always wanted to help kids. And teaching was fewer hours than what I was going for. Thought I might want to make some space in my schedule, you know.” He wonders if he imagines the guilty look on Nico’s face. One of their main arguments back when they were dating had been on how much time they spent together - or how much time they didn’t spend. Between Nico slowly being consumed by his dad’s business and Will trying to get through school and his residency, their schedules didn’t line up often.

Will supposes that’s a benefit of having the same job - schedules always line up.

“I bet they all love you,” Nico says. Will laughs. Some of the kids are a handful, but he loves them all. And he thinks that they love him back. “I’ve been toying with the idea to leave my father’s business,” Nico says after a few moments.

“What would you do?” Will asks.

Nico shrugs. “Open up a restaurant maybe. Or some kind of diner, I guess.” He shrugs again. Will smiles.

“I’d be a regular. Go there every week. Every day if I could.” Nico laughs.

“I’m not sure my father would like that, though. Or Joseph. It’d be a lot of money and time, and we’re just starting our whole life together, you know? I wouldn’t want to mess that all up.” He sighs, getting up to clear the plates.

“It might be difficult to begin with, but it shouldn’t ruin things,” Will says slowly. Nico used to talk about opening up a restaurant when they first started dating, back when they were both just starting school. Will had always thought Nico would be great at it with his business background and love for cooking. “Have you talked to Joseph about it? Or your father?”

Nico shakes his head, scrubbing at a dish a little more aggressively than he needed to. “I’m not sure they’d understand. They’ve always had their lives planned out, and I’ve always just kind of struggled with that.” Will nods. Nico had gone into business because that was what his dad wanted him to do. And he was good at it, but it stressed him out. “And I feel like doing this would be selfish when the money could go to other things that are probably more important. Like, if we ever wanted to buy a house or a new car.”

Will understands that. He didn’t know what he wanted to do in life. He just knew he liked science, and he was good at it. And everyone told him that he could become a doctor, so that’s what he tried for. And then he suddenly didn’t want to be a doctor with their long hours and shifting schedules. He wanted something more domestic and present.

He’s about to say something when the front door opens. Will sees a blur of emotions cross Nico’s face before landing on a small smile.

“You’re home early,” Nico says. Will can’t tell if Nico’s happy about that. A man Will assumes is Joseph is standing in the living room now. Nico finishes washing the dishes before going over to place a kiss to his cheek. Will resists the urge to look away or cry (or both). “Joseph, this is Will. Will, Joseph.” He turns to Joseph. “Will’s an old friend.”

Joseph nods, extending his hand. “Nice to meet you, Will.” He’s got a strange expression on his face that Will would interpret to mean that Nico’s never talked about Will to him. That he has no idea who this ‘old friend’ of Nico’s is and he’s not sure what he’s doing in their home. “Did I interrupt something?”

Will shakes his head as Nico begins to speak. “I was just leaving,” Will cuts over him. Nico blinks.

“Oh, okay,” he says. “I can walk you out.” Will feels like he should bow as he passes Joseph. He’s standing there, like a soldier, watching Will. Nico doesn’t seem to notice. He walks Will to his car, even though it’s parked just out front.

“Thanks for lunch,” Will says. “And for inviting me to taste cake.”

Nico smiles. “Anytime.” He pauses. “I feel like we should do this again. I’ve honestly kind of missed talking with you.”

Will feels something warm in his chest before remembering that they can only be friends. (But that’d be better than nothing.) He nods. “Well, my schedule is pretty much laid out,” he says. Nico nods. They’re standing close to each other, even though there’s plenty of room on the sidewalk. If they were still dating, this would be where one of them leans forward to kiss the other.

“Sometime next week,” Nico says. “I’ve got a few meetings the rest of this week.” Will nods. Then he gets in his car and leaves.

-

“I was wondering who Will was,” Joseph says when Nico gets back inside. “I saw him on the invite list, but you’ve never talked about a Will. I wasn’t sure how to ask.”

Nico nods. “Yeah, he’s an old friend, but we hadn’t really talked for a long while.” He doesn’t really want to get into this with Joseph right now. While Joseph’s not really the jealous type, he’s not sure how he’ll react to the fact that Nico’s been spending a lot of time with his ex-boyfriend while planning his own wedding.

“Why not?” Now Joseph looks concerned which isn’t much better than him being jealous. “Did he hurt you or something?”

Will’s probably one of the only friends that Nico’s invited that Joseph doesn’t know about. And honestly, Nico’s not sure what made that split-second decision to address an invitation to him. Maybe it was because he was dreaming for the one-hundredth time about opening up a restaurant or that he was just feeling nostalgic, but he’d done it. And now there was no going back.

“He didn’t hurt me. We just used to date, and then we broke up.” Joseph makes a slow motion of nodding. “I broke up with him,” Nico clarifies.

Joseph nods again. “I think he still likes you,” he says quietly. Nico blinks. “Honestly, if I hadn’t just met him, I’d think that you two have been friends forever.”

Nico nods. “We kind of have. The last few years is the longest we’ve ever gone without talking, and that’s mostly my fault.” Nico smiles, thinking of him and Will in high school together. They hadn’t exactly grown up as childhood friends, but they’d become better acquainted when Nico started failing chemistry and Will seemed to be the only one Nico could pay attention to in tutoring.

“Was it a messy breakup?” Joseph sits down at the bar, helping himself to some of the stir-fry. Nico shakes his head. He didn’t think it’d been messy, though it wasn’t quite mutual. He remembers Will throwing out so many ideas of how they could make it work, how he could fix things, how they just needed to get through the next week.

“Not really, I don’t think. It was just kind of sad. Because we both liked each other, but things just weren’t working out. Our schedules and when we could see each other for longer than fifteen minutes.” Joseph nods once more, and Nico’s starting to wonder if he’s a bobble-head or something. “Are you upset? That I’m hanging out with Will?”

Joseph shakes his head. “No, of course not. I’m really happy that you two are talking again. I can tell how much he means to you.” He smiles at Nico, tugging on his hand so he can kiss Nico’s cheek. “And I’m glad you aren’t just spending the day lounging around on the couch,” he teases.

Nico rolls his eyes. “Like I would do that.”

Joseph laughs, and Nico thinks this is why he fell in love with Joseph. For his laugh. It’s just such a young and unexpected sound coming from a businessman. And while Joseph appears to be very straightforward and business-like, his laugh tells differently. “I know you’ve got your hands full with the wedding planning, but don’t tell me that you haven’t been steadily going through your list on Netflix.”

Nico just shrugs. What can he say? Netflix just understands him. “Not all the way. I’ve still got at least eight more things to watch.” Joseph rolls his eyes. “And Will’s been helping me with the planning.”

“Sorry I can’t be there to help you more. Just a few more weeks, and then I’ll be able to be there.” Nico nods. Lately, he hasn’t minded as much that Joseph’s been working. It’s been nice just hanging out with Will, planning a wedding on the side. Since he can make his own schedule, he works around Will’s schedule as best he can. He’s pretty sure he’s ever had so many morning meetings.

“I understand.” Joseph finishes eating lunch, washing his plate off before sticking it in the dishwasher. Nico wonders if he’s always destined to date busy men. He supposes there’s some kind of appeal to those who work hard. “Why’re you home early? I thought you had that meeting with Mr. Rochester later.”

“He’s coming to the dinner tonight, so we just decided to talk then,” Joseph says. “And I knew you didn’t have any meetings this afternoon. So I was thinking we could do something.”

“Like what?” Nico asks. Planning dates or outings with Joseph was sometimes such a thing. They had to come up with things to do and then agree on those things to do. And sometimes they just weren’t in the mood for something they’d planned three days ago, so the whole process had to start over again.

“Well, we’re already having dinner. So maybe something a little different,” Joseph says. Nico doesn’t point out that the dinner will be basically a bunch of rich men and women trying to persuade other rich men and women to give them more money. It’s not exactly a date.

“We could do paintball,” Nico says. It’s something he’s always wanted to do, but Joseph’s never wanting to do it. And paintball is no fun by yourself or with strangers. (That, and he can never seem to bring it up with Jason or Annabeth.) He can already tell by the quirk of Joseph’s mouth that he’s going to say no. “Or we could just walk through the park.”

Joseph smiles, going to change out of his button-down and slacks. Nico also likes well-dressed men. They’re ready to go in about twenty minutes, Nico taking Joseph’s hand. They walk to the closest park, and Nico takes in the sights. Joseph seems to be taking in the people. He’s not people-watching per se, but he seems to be analyzing them.

“I hope the flowers will be in bloom when we get married,” Nico says. He’s always dreamed of a spring wedding with lots of flowers and fat bumblebees. (He quickly gets rid of the idea of how Will would look so perfect with a bouquet of sunflowers and a pink flower crown. Joseph is who he’s marrying. Joseph!)

“I’m sure they will be. And if not, we can just get a bunch of potted flowers.” Nico nods. Joseph kisses his knuckles, smiling at a group of children playing tag. “How do you feel about children? I know it’s a bit early, but just a thought.”

Nico shrugs. He’s never really thought about kids much. “Maybe.” He’s really just been more focused on the two of them. Being married is big step in Nico’s mind. And adding kids to that is even bigger. “I just want to get this wedding planned first.”

Nothing feels quite like Nico thought it’d be. He thought he’d be zooming around on a cloud of happiness that he’s engaged, about to marry. Instead, it just feels like a lot of work. He’s already shown off his flashy ring to everyone he knows, and he’s already mailed out the invites. Now, it’s just like he’s waiting for the actual event to happen before he can be enveloped in that bliss he’s been dreaming about.

“You okay?” Joseph asks after a moment. “You just got really quiet.”

Nico nods. “I’m okay. I was just thinking. For the centerpieces, they had some really cool ones I liked, but they were beach-themed. Which isn’t our theme. And both Annabeth and Will think that they’d look out of place. I wanted your opinion.”

Joseph shrugs. “I think that whatever you like, it’ll work. We don’t exactly have a theme, do we?” Nico shakes his head. They hadn’t really come to an agreement on the theme, and Nico was doing most of the planning. So he was kind of just picking out what he liked if he also thought Joseph would like it. Honestly, he was starting to wonder if this whole wedding would be a mess. “I’m sure whatever you pick will be perfect,” Joseph adds.

Nico nods. He hopes so. Because he’s marrying Joseph in a few months. A commitment of a lifetime. He’s not sure he’s ready.

“Will! Long time no see!” Jason calls across the room. Will’s not exactly sure what’s happening other than Nico had called him earlier, asking if he wanted to hang out and watch movies. Since it was a Saturday, Will had agreed. He’d gotten most of his work done, and he could finish the rest on Sunday or before class began on Monday. Not that the kids would mind. The holidays were nearing, and they were getting excited.

“Hey, man.” Will hugs Jason as Jason pats his back. He can’t remember the last time he and Jason talked. Probably at Jason’s wedding when Will had to leave the reception early. “What’s up? How’ve you been?”

“Good, yeah. You?” Will nods. He catches Jason up on his career change, listening to how Jason and Piper are thinking of starting a family soon. He’s happy for them, excited. Then Nico comes out of his room, dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt, and Will loses his train of thought. He catches Jason’s surprised expression before pulling on a smile.

“Hey. I see you’re in the perfect movie-watching outfit.”

Nico laughs. “And I see that you are, too.” He’s joking. Because Will’s dressed in jeans and a sweater. He’s not sure how casual he’s allowed to be around Nico. Not for Nico’s sake but for his. “Jason, come sit down.”

Will’s only mildly upset when Jason doesn’t sit between him and Nico. It’d be less tempting if he had, but now Will’s free to overthink every move he makes when he reaches for a drink or the popcorn. When he and Nico were dating, they’d usually end up snuggled right against each other during movie nights. Now, it was almost like there was some invisible electric fence between them.

When Nico gets up to use the bathroom, Jason leans over to look at Will. “Careful, man,” he warns. Will nods. He knows. He knows better. But his heart wants Nico, has only ever wanted Nico, and he’s not sure how to tell it that he can’t have Nico. “I know the breakup was hard for you, but he’s getting married.”

“I know. I’m still figuring things out.” Jason nods. Will wishes he knew what Jason was thinking. “Like, what I’m going to do after the wedding. I can’t exactly just pack up and move. And I don’t want to leave either. But I’m not sure I can keep being his friend.”

Jason pats his shoulder. “I’m here if you ever need to talk.” Will nods. He’s talked Cecil’s ear off for hours about this, and he’s no closer to a solution. He keeps thinking there can be some compromise that doesn’t end up ruining Nico’s relationship and breaking Will’s heart. But he can’t seem to find it.

“You okay?” Nico asks when the movie ends. He touches Will’s arm lightly. Will jumps before nodding. “You’re just really quiet today.” Not so subtly, Jason excuses himself to go and call Piper. Nico shifts, facing Will.

“I’m fine, Nico,” Will says, but he can’t quite seem to get any happiness into his voice. He just keeps seeing Joseph kissing Nico, Nico smiling but not at him. Joseph’s in his dreams now (or, are they nightmares?). He’ll be having a perfectly nice time with Nico, and then Joseph appears to sweep Nico off of his feet or to take him home. Just to remind Will that he’s the one Nico’s chosen to spend the rest of his life with.

By the time Jason comes back in, they’re onto another movie. Jason just looks at them. Nico doesn’t notice. Will shakes his head. For dinner, they order pizza, and Will keeps expecting Joseph to walk in at any minute. After a few hours of him not coming back, Will asks.

“Oh, he’s at some overnight company dinner thing,” Nico says. He says it like it doesn’t bother him, but Will can see that it does. “We both have a few every so often. He’s doing his now so that he won’t have to worry about any when the wedding gets closer.”

Around nine, Jason excuses himself to go home. He and Piper are going ice skating tomorrow, he says, and he needs lots of rest. Will’s not sure if that’s just a fact or if it’s some kind of vague innuendo. Will had planned to leave when the movie ended, but he and Nico started playing cards. And then it was eleven-thirty.

“You can spend the night here,” Nico says. “We’ve got a guest room. And I know you hate driving at night.” Especially in the winter when the roads could be slick and dangerous. Against his conscience, he agrees. He’ll just sleep in the guest room and leave after breakfast (or even before). What could happen?

-

Nico turns over to an empty bed, and it’s almost enough for him to just roll back over and ignore it. He’s gotten used to waking up with half of his side cold from a lack of snuggling and extra body heat. But it seems worse today. He glances over at his nightstand to see a picture of him and Joseph kissing in front of one of the many fountains around town.

Deciding that his need for coffee outweighs his want to stay in bed, he gets up. He pads into the kitchen, setting out some things for breakfast as well. It’s a Sunday morning, and he could be going to church. But he’s also got to pick up Joseph from the airport later. He notices Will’s shoes by the door and remembers he slept over.

Dangerous territory, his brain screams. Morning Will was always one of his favorite Wills. He’d been adorable with the sleepiness that clung to him until midday. Always yawning and being super affectionate, cuddly and full of kisses. His curls would be a mess, and his blue eyes always seemed brighter in the morning light.

“Mornin’,” Will mumbles as he pads into the kitchen. “Good sleep, Nic?” Nico blushes faintly. Will always called him Nic in the mornings. He yawns, stretching. His shirt rides up a bit. Nico notes that Will definitely hasn’t gotten any fatter the past few years.

“Yeah, you?” Will nods, moving to lean against the counter. He rubs his eyes, smiling goofily at Nico. “Breakfast?” Nico ask. Will hums, scratching his arm. The mundane gesture shouldn’t be so endearing. Nico quickly turns around to start making breakfast. He’d planned one something a bit more complicated than eggs, but his brain isn’t functioning right now.

He tenses when he feels Will behind him, his arms suddenly around him, his head on Nico’s. “G’morning, Nico.” This is the morning Will Nico remembers, though he can’t figure out if he’s in a dream or not. He thought he definitely woke up. He feels a feather-light kiss to his head and figures he’ll just ignore it. He turns around to plate the eggs, and then Will is kissing him.

For a few moments, Nico just gives into the feeling. Will’s kisses have never failed to make him speechless, and they aren’t starting now. Muscle memory tells him to tangle his fingers in Will’s messy curls. Then Will tenses, pushing away from Nico, banging his hip against the counter.

“Oh, gods. I am so sorry. I don’t know what just happened. Nico, I am so sorry. Gods, I need to leave.” Will’s running through the kitchen, grabbing his shoes and bag as he nears the door. “Please just forget that ever happened,” Will says, his voice cracking. And then he’s gone.

Nico blinks, feeling his lips tingle slightly from where Will kissed him. There wasn’t anything special about the kiss; it was just like the hundreds of others that Will had given him. Except, he and Will weren’t dating anymore. And Nico has a fiancé that he loves and wants to marry. Right?

He’s still thinking about it when he goes to pick up Joseph from the airport. His soon-to-be-husband smiles as he hands Nico one of his bags to carry. Nico takes it, reaching up to kiss Joseph’s cheek. He’s not much for PDA, but he needs to remind himself that Joseph’s the one he’s chosen to marry.

“You’re not getting stressed out over the wedding planning, are you?” Joseph asks as they drive home. “Because I can find time if you need my help. Or I’m sure your friends would love to help you, too.” Nico shakes his head. It’s not the wedding planning. It might just be the wedding. Or the question of is Nico marrying the wrong man?

It all just feels so complicated all of a sudden. Joseph’s never made Nico feel like Will did, but there were different types of love, right? And not everyone loved everyone the same way. But Nico didn’t want to make a mistake. Divorces were messy sometimes, and his father would definitely not approve of one. And how could he just marry Joseph when he’s already considering a divorce. He loves Joseph, right?

“Nico,” Joseph says when they get inside. “Talk to me. What’s wrong? Has something happened?”

Nico shrugs. How did one tell their fiancé that they’ve just been kissed by someone not their fiancé and they didn’t hate it (and maybe even wanted more)? “Will kissed me,” Nico says. For a moment, Joseph looks angry. Then he looks concerned. “He didn’t force me. I just- I mean, maybe I- I liked it. And I don’t know what that means.” He takes a deep breath, looking at Joseph.

“Do you like him?” For a moment, Nico’s suddenly irritated with how calm and businesslike Joseph’s being. Wasn’t he supposed to be angry? Or at least upset? “Do you like him, Nico? Is that why you keep hanging out with him and talking about him?” Nico’s confused. “Because we’ve spent maybe three hours together these past few days, and I think I’ve heard more about Will than the wedding.”

Now he sounds a touch angry. Or maybe it’s jealousy. “I do,” Nico says after a moment. He’s just realizing that maybe he never stopped liking Will. They broke up because they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) find the time to hang out with each other, because they were living their own lives together instead of just being together.

“Please don’t cry, darling,” Joseph says. He moves forward to hug Nico gently. “I just think we might need to rethink this wedding if you’re feeling this way.” Nico nods. He wipes at his face. “I know you love me, but maybe you love Will more. And that’s okay, I think.”

“You aren’t mad?” Nico asks. Joseph shakes his head.

“I’m a little upset, I guess. Honestly, I thought it’d be harder working all of this over time and not seeing you. But somehow it’s not. And maybe that’s a sign that we’re okay being apart.” Nico nods. He wonders if he’s just missed Joseph because without Joseph he was alone. All of his friends (minus Will) were married. And so when Joseph proposed, it was simply the next step.

“I’m not ready to get married. I’ve been so anxious about it.” Joseph nods.

“Well, we won’t have to worry about that anymore, I suppose.” He pulls back, handing Nico a tissue. Nico blows his nose. “And I love you, Nico. But maybe this wouldn’t have worked out.”

Nico nods. “But maybe we can be friends. Or just business partners.”

Joseph shrugs. “Or maybe you should open that restaurant you’ve been talking to Will about.” There isn’t any anger or disappointment behind the words like Nico was expecting, and he’s surprised. “I know you love cooking. And I love eating your food. So it could be a win-win. I’ll even help you finance it.”

Nico laughs. He has no idea how he found two such perfect guys. “But what if Will doesn’t want me?” he asks suddenly. “He freaked out after he kissed me and just left.”

Joseph laughs, wiping a tear from his face. “Nico, if you don’t go and get your man, I’m going to ask him out for you.”

-

Will’s freaking out. He’s been freaking out for the last few hours. His stomach is all up in knots, and he keeps expecting Nico to call him and say that they can’t ever see each other again. He’s already crying over their eventual breakup. He wonders if this one will hurt more than the other one.

He knows he should call Cecil, but he doesn’t think he could do much more than cry. And while Cecil’s put up with a lot of stuff concerning Will and his problems, this one is all on Will. So he texts Cecil to bring over some pizza and lots of ice cream. He gets a concerned message from Cecil, but he doesn’t respond. He feels like he might puke.

When the doorbell rings fifteen minutes later, Will can’t make himself get off the couch. “You’d better not have any peppers on that pizza!” Will calls. His voice cracks halfway through it. “It’s open.” He buries his face in the pillows, not wanting a single lecture about how he set himself up for this. He knows he did. And he knows he’s messed up. Big time.

“Will?” Will doesn’t answer for a moment. “Um, I just wanted to say that I’m not mad at you. And can we talk? Maybe without your face in a pillow?”

Slowly, Will removes his face from the pillow, though he’s sure he probably looks disgusting. Crying for two hours does very little for one’s appearance. He’s pretty sure he’s dreaming when he sees Nico standing there in front of him, his own eyes a little red and puffy like he’s been crying. Will pulls his legs off of the couch, sitting up so that Nico can sit down.

“You know where I live?” Will asks.

Nico huffs, laughing. “Yes. It’s one of the perks of having a super rich father and savvy businessman for an ex-fiancé.” He smiles at Will. Will blinks.

“Ex-fiancé? Oh, gods. I didn’t mean to ruin anything. I’m so sorry, Nico. I could talk to him, let him know it was all me.”

Nico sits down, shaking his head. “No. It wasn’t all you. You just left before I could say anything.” He shifts so he’s looking at Will. “No one is mad at you,” he adds. “And you didn’t ruin anything.”

It strikes Will that after all of these years, Nico still knows exactly how to calm Will’s anxious mind. “So, that’s good, I guess,” Will says. He still feels horrible about what he did. Nico’s not getting married anymore. He’s probably not even dating Joseph anymore. (He can date you now, Will thinks quickly before shutting it down.)

“Yeah,” Nico says. “And Joseph and I talked a bit when he got home. And we realized that we were kind of marrying because it was the next step. Neither of us wanted to really get married. And we were only kind of dating because it was convenient. We didn’t have to match up schedules. We were fine being on our own.”

“You didn’t love him?” Will asks. He’s a bit confused as to where this is going.

“I did love him. And I still do. But it’s nothing compared to how I feel about you, Will.” Will’s heart is beating too fast right now, he thinks. He tries to count how many beats per minute, but he loses track. “Will, say something, please.”

“You still like me?” Will asks.

Nico laughs. “Yes, I still like you. Still love you, in fact.” He scoots closer. “Will, we broke up because we never saw each other. We were both trying to figure out what we wanted, and for some reason, though we just wanted each other, we planned everything so we couldn’t have that.” He pauses. “I want to try again. Because I love you, and I’ve missed you all of these years. I’ve just been too busy to realize.”

Will nods slowly. “I love you, too. And I’ve missed you every day, Nico. But you’re still busy, and I’ve got work.” He wipes his eyes. “And I’m not just a second choice, right? Because I can’t do that with you, Nico.”

Nico shakes his head. “No. And maybe we don’t start out by dating. We can rebuild our friendship, see where it goes from there.” He shrugs. “But I want you in my life, Will.”

“Me, too. I mean, I want you in my life.” They laugh. Will blows his nose. “I also really want to kiss you.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “Friends don’t kiss, Will,” he says, but he’s smiling. He leans forward, pecking Will’s cheek. Will feels himself blushing. Even just that bit makes him so happy. “So, we’re taking this slow, yeah?” Will nods. “There’s one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

Will feels his heart stutter. “Yeah?”

 

“I’m thinking about quitting the business and starting my own. Like a restaurant business, I think. How would you feel about helping me?”

Will smiles. “I’d love to help you. But you’re doing all of the cooking and financing because teachers don’t get paid that much. That and I suck at cooking.”

Nico laughs. “Joseph’s helping me handle the finances. I just need you along for the support. And maybe some taste testing.”

“I think I could do that.” He leans in slowly enough that Nico can pull back if he wants to. But Nico doesn’t pull back, and Will’s lips meet his. They kiss a few times before they pull apart, blushing madly. “I really missed you, Nico. I’m glad you sent that invitation.”

Nico smiles. “Me, too.”

He’s about to lean in for another kiss when the front door goes flying open. “Sorry, Will! Traffic was so bad. But I’ve got-“ There’s a pause. “Well, I see you handled things perfectly fine on your own.” Cecil slides his gaze over to Nico. “Don’t break his heart again, or I’ll run you over with a car.”

“Nico, would you like some pizza?” Will asks, sighing. Cecil’s already laying the boxes out on the counter.

“Do they have peppers on them?” Nico asks innocently. Cecil bursts out laughing.


	3. too cute to be evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (just a short hero/captive au of sorts)
> 
> Talking isn't exactly Nico's thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: nico kind of kidnaps will

Nico had never been very good with people, honestly. It was one of his major weaknesses, that he couldn’t seem to grasp the same social skills that everyone else seemed born with. He’d tried so hard in elementary school, trying to shake everyone’s hand. He memorized everyone’s favorite colors and foods and animals so that he could let them know that he cared about them. Only, it never seemed to work.

And then he entered middle school, the world where having a social life just got more complicated. And even more complicated when he got to high school. By the time he graduated, he was pretty sure that he was just stuck being by his lonesome self.

Which is how he got here: abducting the city’s most favorite superhero, a teenage boy with blond curls and blue eyes. It wasn’t all that hard. He stuck out like a sore (and very beautiful) thumb wherever he went. The trickiest part was to not get subsequently mauled by all of the superhero’s fans. Nico wasn’t a fan of fans. They were always too loud and squeal-y for his tastes. He preferred quieter things like letter writing and emails and being an evil villain.

He watches from his parked car as Will Solace walked out of a restaurant. He was alone today which was strange for him, but maybe even superheroes needed some alone time. Nico was pretty much done with alone time at this point. He’d been mostly alone for as long as he can remember, and while most people pitied him for that, he thought maybe it enabled him to progress much farther in other areas. Areas such as evil villainy and successfully stalking Will Solace online.

(Okay, so maybe he needed some friends, but he’s working on it.)

To his credit, he’d started the evil business in the smallest of ways. He’d spray painted Will’s name on one of the largest buildings downtown with a giant heart next to it. Of course, graffiti of that size and nature was strictly prohibited, but that was kind of the point. Go big or go home, right? Only, a bunch of fangirls had gotten credit for his work, so he’d had to scale his operations to the next level.

He started hacking into computer systems, jamming the radio signals, stealing random things. All it got him was a few pleasant-sounded letters from Will Solace strongly encouraging him to stop being so much trouble. So he’d progressed a notch further.

He started plotting random schemes, setting giant parade floats loose downtown and stopping traffic on random days. After this, Will Solace started showing up at his door. But he merely reprimanded Nico a few times before leaving again. He never seemed interested in arresting him for his minor destruction of public property which always gave Nico a flutter in his chest.Which was messed up, right?

Because one shouldn’t be crushing on a superhero. Especially if one is a supervillain. It just isn’t how things are done.

The last plan before this had involved a giant robot cliché while Nico scoured every available site for the perfect date. (Sue him for being a romantic at heart.) Because Will Solace had to show up after this plan, right? The robot’s job was to merely be a giant nuisance in town; it wasn’t supposed to harm anyone, so there wasn’t any need to save anyone.

And what were Will Solace’s powers exactly anyway? Nico had never seen him use anything that seemed specifically different than other people. He was heroically handsome and adorable and kind, but that wasn’t a superpower, was it?

Well, Nico was going to find out now. He sees his chance when Will heads down a less busy path. Sneaking up behind him, Nico grabs him and takes off. He hears Will let out a shout before trying to loosen Nico’s grip, but Nico’s got him in a firm hold. (His skin is so soft, Nico thinks.) Somehow, he manages to get Will back to his evil lair (read: secluded apartment).

“What do you want with me?” Will asks. He sounds like the typical hero/victim, always trying to sound heroic and not scared. Nico smiles at him while trying not to drool. Because, in person, Will looks so much prettier. There isn’t a screen to dim the shine of his eyes or the teasing quirk of his smile. And his curls are windblown and messy right now. Nico’s knees might give out.“Let’s sit down,” Nico says. He’s feeling suddenly awkward for not having everything perfectly planned out. He honestly thought Will would put up more of a fight. That and he hadn’t actually planned on this working. But now Will was standing in his living room, and Nico kind of just wanted to kiss him. “Over there.”

Will walks calmly to the couch, sitting down. He doesn’t seem too concerned for his health and safety. “Are you kidnapping me?” he asks. “Because I have dinner plans with my friends tonight, and they might be worried if I don’t show up.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico says. If he’s being honest, his only plans were to capture Will Solace and go on a romantic date with Will Solace. He didn’t quite figure out how to get from part A to part B. And then what came after that. Especially what came after. Because like previously, villains did not date their nemeses.

“Wait. Aren’t you the guy who let that giant robot loose? It nearly crushed my mama’s car,” Will says. “Luckily, it didn’t, or you’d be in for some bill.”

Nico just nods. He wishes he knew what other people did in this situation, if they ever got themselves into a situation like this. He didn’t know it’d be so awkward. “Well, I’m glad she’s okay,” he says. Will nods. “But that isn’t what you’re here to talk about.”“Why am I here? I’m not a hostage, am I?” Nico sighs. “Because whatever you want, I’m sure we can work something out.” Maybe his superpower was his power of persuasion? Or just being a smooth talker? Why did Nico even think that this would work?

“I need a date,” Nico hears himself say. “And you fit the bill.” For some reason, this makes Will’s cheeks redden. It’s highly distracting, and Nico has to compose himself before continuing. “So, we’re going on a date tonight. And then you’re free to return home. Cancel your dinner plans tonight.”

Will’s almost smiling. “You are evil,” he says. But he says it in a way that implies that Nico’s more akin to a little kitten than an evil villain. Nico hopes he’s at least a cute kitten. “You just want a date? Why can’t you just ask someone?”

Nico shrugs. “Asking is hard,” he says. Will nods.

“Well, why don’t you go ahead and ask me?” He swears Will winks, and he feels his stomach drop out from under him. He’s glad he’s sitting. He might have just collapsed if he hadn’t. He takes a moment to assess if Will’s being real or not or if he’s just simply joking with Nico right now. “Come on, Nico. Ask me.” It’s almost like he’s goading Nico now. (And he said his name!)

“Will you go out with me?” Nico manages. He doesn’t ponder over the fact that his voice just now was definitely not one of an evil villain.“I’d love to,” Will says. “Where are we going, darling?”

Nico’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Did Will just? Did he really? He has to take a few moments to compose himself now. When he looks up, the blush is still high on Will’s cheeks, and he’s pretty sure his cheeks match. He has to quickly pull up his plans on his phone.

“Um, a picnic and maybe something else?” He has a few things listed, but he’s not sure which one Will would like more. So he’s hoping he’ll dig around a little during dinner. “I haven’t- um, I mean- you’re not doing this just because I kidnapped you, right?”

The last thing he wants is a pity date. “I mean, you did kidnap me, and we’ll probably have to talk about that later. But I’d love to go on a date with you.” Nico wonders how he can speak so smoothly with a blush that red (and adorable). “Also, we should maybe go somewhere less crowded. Just that my fans can get a bit rowdy.”

Rowdy was a nice word for messy. Struggling to pull his thoughts together, Nico gets the picnic ready, putting the food in a large basket because it’s cliché. (He read somewhere that Will liked the sappy, romantic stuff.) It’s a bit heavier than he intended, but he’s not about to look like he’s struggling in front of Will.

“Do you have a place picked out?” Nico shakes his head. “I know a good place. Trust me?” Nico nods slowly. And then Will is lifting him up, bridal style, basket and all.

“What the heck! You’re not kidnapping me, are you?”

Will just laughs, and then they’re flying. Which Nico guesses is a legitimate superpower. Even though he’s never seen Will fly before. As they get higher, Nico finds himself embarrassingly clingy. His arms are around Will’s shoulders, and he’s pressed into Will’s chest. Will sets him down in an empty field.

“Here good?” Nico can just nod, still recovering from being that close to Will.

“You can fly.” Will nods, laughing. “Why don’t you ever just fly around?”

“If you haven’t noticed, you’re practically drooling,” Will says, smirking. “So imagine if every fangirl and boy knew I could fly.” Nico shivers. Will was his (hopefully). He couldn’t be giving rides to just anyone. He wipes at his mouth. Will smiles.

Will spreads out the blanket and food while Nico calms himself down. He’s had to compose himself way too many times in the last few hours. They eat in silence, mostly because Nico’s too caught up in everything concerning Will to form a coherent sentence.

“So, why the evil villain stuff?” Will asks as he finishes off a chocolate croissant.

Nico blushes. “Um, I heard the best way to get a superhero’s attention was to becoming their nemesis.” He sees Will’s cheeks heat up at that, his freckles disappearing underneath the red.

“You could have just asked,” Will says.Nico huffs. “I thought we already established that asking wasn’t really my thing. Talking isn’t really my thing.”

“Oh, so what is your thing?” And suddenly Will’s super close to Nico. “Is kissing your thing?”Nico had meant to say something along the lines of ‘why don’t you find out’, but what came out was, “Sure.” Will just laughs, his hand coming up to cup Nico’s cheek. And then he’s kissing Nico, so softly and affectionately. Like he actually wants to kiss Nico. Which is weird. Because about an hour ago, they were kind of strangers, right?

“I’ve wanted to do that ever since I showed up at your place to give you that first lecture,” Will admits. Nico tries to lean back on his hands, only he kind of misses the ground and ends up falling into Will’s side. Will’s arms circle around him. “My friends think I have this problem because I keep googling supervillains. But you’re too cute to be evil.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbles. Will leans forward, kissing him again.

And maybe during the next mass traffic jam, Will’s too busy making out with Nico to worry about getting to work on time.


	4. snapshots (5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (tol/smol stuff)
> 
> just some snapshots of Nico and Will being themselves - I wasn't entirely sure what to post for today :)

“Have you seen the pictures Piper got?” Nico asks bursting into the apartment. Will looks up from where he’s reading on the couch. Nico’s got a stack of photographs in his hands that he’s waving around as he talks. “Like I’m putting these in our scrapbook! I don’t even know why we have a scrapbook. Neither of us is the cut and paste type of people.”

Will laughs a little as Nico throws himself onto the couch, burying his face in Will’s stomach. “Are you wearing my sweater again?” Will asks. “I was looking for that one all morning. And I even texted you to see if you knew where it was.”

Nico shrugs. “You’re ignoring me. And I’m not saying all of that over again.” He drops the photos in Will’s lap. “Here. See how bad they are.”

Will kisses Nico’s head before picking up the photos. He smiles, thinking they’re cute. Though he can see what Nico’s talking about. While never really bothered by his height (or lack of), it never took something big to trigger Nico’s annoyance over having tall friends.

“I think they’re adorable, sweetheart.” Nico looks up to glare at Will.

“Of course, you would. You don’t look like a munchkin standing next to Jason or even Piper.” Nico huffs at the photos, wrapping his arms around Will’s waist and curling his legs in so that he’s perfectly positioned in Will’s lap. Will just pats Nico’s shoulder, kissing him once more.

“You don’t look like a munchkin, Nico. And you’re not as short as you think you are.” Nico raises his eyebrows. Will grins. He remembers when he and Nico first started dating, when Nico used to have to stand on a step stool to kiss Will properly. Now, all he needed to do was stand on his tippy toes (or just pull Will down to his level as he often did).

“I think that’s because you never have to look up,” Nico says. He pokes Will’s stomach. Will glances at the pictures again. There are several group shots of their friends, all making weird faces or doing weird poses. And then there are some of just Will and Nico. Usually Will giving Nico a piggyback ride or Nico sitting in Will’s lap.

They’re all cute and adorable, but Will can see where Nico’s getting frustrated. From a traditional perspective, Nico’s in the role of the wife. Which he’s never had a problem with. He cooked and cleaned mostly because when Will did, it ended up making a bigger mess. And while Will did the laundry and went grocery shopping, none of that came across in the photos.

“I’m sure we could have Piper do another photo shoot,” Will suggests. “You could lift me. You know how I love being held in your strong arms.” He adds a teasing lilt to his voice, though it’s all true. Nico’s the stronger of the two of them, the one who works out more. Will’s tall, but Nico’s definitely filled into his body more.

“I don’t see the point,” Nico says. “But you like them, right?” Will nods slowly. Nico nods back. “Well, I’ll add them to the non-existent scrapbook pile.”

Will rolls his eyes. “Or we could just frame them.”  
-  
Nico doesn’t realize how late it’s gotten until a roar of thunder jolts him from his thoughts. He sits up, checking his phone. Sure enough, he was supposed to be home an hour ago, and he’s missed a call and several texts from Will. Reading them, he immediately calls Will.

“Sunshine? Will, I’m almost home,” he says gently. Nico’s not sure how he managed to ignore the approaching storm until it was right over them, but he’s beating himself up about it. He’s not worried that he forgot to tell Will that he wouldn’t be home for dinner, but he’s worried because Will’s home by himself. And he’s always been scared of thunderstorms.

“I’m here,” comes a small voice, and Nico’s glad that Will at least picked up the phone. “You’re coming home?”

“I am,” Nico says. He drives a little faster when he sees a flash of lightning. “Are you listening to music right now?”

“No,” Will says. “I’m talking to you.” Nico nods. He keeps up small conversation until he makes it home.

“I’m home!” Nico calls gently into the apartment. Almost every light is on as Nico heads towards the bedroom. He smiles when he sees Will curled up in the blankets, only his face and a few blond curls poking out. His phone is sitting next to him. “Hi, sunshine.”

He pulls off his shoes and slacks, crawling into bed. Will doesn’t even make a comment about Nico stripping, so Nico pulls Will into his arms, kissing his head. As another bolt of lightning streaks the sky, Will shivers. He buries his face in Nico’s chest, practically crawling onto his lap.

Nico’s not sure what the root of Will’s fear is of if it’s a childhood fear carried over into adulthood, but it hurts to see Will so scared. He’s an almost six-foot tall living and breathing sunshine, and he’s scared of thunderstorms. Another roar of thunder sounds, and Will whimpers. Nico smooths his hands down Will’s back, kissing his hair.

“You’re okay, Will. It’s just a loud noise. Nothing more.” He wraps another blanket around them as Will shifts to let Nico under the covers more. He feels bad that there isn’t anything he can really do, other than hold Will and protect him from whatever it is that Will fears.

Will whines when Nico reaches over to grab his phone, turning on some music. He can feel Will sigh when Nico’s arm wraps back around him. The local radar tells him that the storm’s only going to last for another half hour or so and that it’s not severe. Just a lot of bravado.

“Have you had dinner yet?” Nico asks. Will shakes his head. “What do you want for dinner? I can make spaghetti or garlic chicken or soup.” He keeps listing food, knowing that talking will help. “Or we could just ditch all of that and have buttery popcorn for dinner.”

This gets a small laugh out of Will, and Nico nods.

“Does anyone know?” Will asks after a moment. “About this?” Nico shakes his head. He’s never told anyone about Will’s fear of storms. Usually, if he’s with Will when they happen, it’s easier. But tonight, Will had been home by himself.

“Not unless you wanted me to,” Nico says. He knows Will’s self-conscious about his fear of storms. Most wouldn’t peg Will Solace to be scared of a little thunder and lightning. Some might also laugh that loves to be comforted and held by his miniature boyfriend. But Nico doesn’t mind. He loves holding Will, scared or not.

“Spaghetti sounds good,” Will says, answering the previous question. “With your sauce. Not from the can.”

Nico laughs. After having Nico’s sauce once, Will refused to eat the sauce out of the can. Which was flattering, but sometimes it was just easier to heat up sauce from the can.

“I think I can do that. There’s still some leftover from the last time.” Will hums along to the music playing. “I think the storm is leaving,” Nico adds.

There hasn’t been any thunder for at least ten minutes, and there isn’t any sign of lightning. Twenty minutes later, Nico’s managed to coax Will and his blankets out to the kitchen. Will sits down at the counter, telling Nico about his day as Nico boils the pasta. He sometimes glances out the windows to make sure the storm really is leaving.

By the time dinner is ready, he’s almost back to his smiling self. He’s still got one blanket pulled around his shoulders, and he insists that they eat in the living room so that he can sit right next to Nico. They turn on a movie, Nico getting up to put their dishes in the sink and pop some popcorn.

“Thank you,” Will says softly when Nico returns. “I know it’s stupid, but I can’t help it.”

Nico nods, kissing Will’s cheek. “It’s okay, sunshine. I never mind a reason to hold you.”

Will laughs. “That’s just because you want an excuse to be the big spoon. Even though you’re shorter than me.”

Nico rolls his eyes. He does love holding Will, feeling his heartbeat, the soft rise and fall of his chest. He scoots closer to Will, Will automatically leaning into Nico’s side, letting Nico wrap his arms around him. Nico kisses Will again, just because.

“I love you, Nico.”

“I love you, too, sunshine.”  
-  
“Will?” Nico asks. Will flips over so that he’s facing Nico. He’d just been about to drift off. Nico seems to have a great sense of timing. “Do your toes ever get cold? Like, while you’re sleeping?”

“What?” Will asks. He’s not sure if the question itself is weird or if he’s just too tired to make sense of it. He rubs his eyes, mashing his cheek into the pillow as he tries to look at Nico in the dimness of their bedroom.“Because you’re so tall,” Nico explains. “And sometimes your feet might stick out, right? Or is that why you're always sticking your feet to my ankles.”Will groans. He had not been prepared to have this conversation tonight or at all. Honestly, it’d never occurred to him. “What?” he repeats. Was this Nico’s way of telling him not to tangle their legs together when they slept? Or was Nico just loopy from a lack of sleep?

“I’m just curious. Jason said something today, I wanted to know.”

Will hums. He figures he won’t be getting any sleep until this is all sorted out. “What’d Jason say?”

Nico yawns. “Just something about how I can lay in bed however I want because I’m so short. Like, do you find sleeping a problem sometimes?” Will rolls his eyes. Maybe Nico was just concerned about how he slept. Which would be touching if he hadn’t woken Will up to ask.

“I don’t have a problem sleeping. Only if my chatty boyfriend won’t stop talking.”

Nico pouts. “Well, excuse me for trying to make sure you stay warm. We all know how grumpy you get when you’re cold.”

Will laughs. He is a bit grumpy when he gets cold. But he can’t understand the idea of liking to be cold. Why would anyone want that? Nico hums, scooting closer to him. They bump noses. “My toes are fine,” Will says. “Not cold at all. That’s why we tuck the sheets in. So they can’t stick out.”

Nico thinks this over as Will kisses his nose. He’s hoping he can go back to sleep now. He’s so sleepy, and he’s got work tomorrow. Actually, they both have work tomorrow. And while Will gets grumpy in the cold, Nico’s grumpy when he’s sleepy.

“So you’re not cold?” Nico asks. “Because what about your shoulders? Do they ever get cold?”

Will sighs. “We have three blankets on our bed. No one should be cold,” he says. He can see Nico processing this. “I don’t get cold in bed, Nico.”Nico nods at this, scooting so that he’s pressed against Will’s chest. “You are warm,” he says, like he didn’t believe Will. Will wraps his arms around Nico, kissing his hair. Nico tucks himself further into Will’s chest, curling his legs up so that his knees are pressed into Will’s hips. It’d be uncomfortable if Will weren’t used to it.

“Now where am I supposed to put my toes?” Will asks. Nico only snorts.

“You know, it’s okay if you do get cold, Will,” Nico says. “I’ll always let you cuddle with me.”Will smiles. He feels Nico kiss his arm. They settle into the silence, Will listening to Nico’s breathing even out. He’s most likely asleep now, and Will’s grateful for that. No more questions and hopefully no grumpy Nico tomorrow morning. Pulling the blanket over his shoulders, he makes sure Nico’s not too warm before closing his own eyes.He whispers, “Sweet dreams, Nico.”


	5. sucks without you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (au - even though all of my works this week seem to be aus haha)
> 
> Nico's a vampire. Will's a human. This wasn't supposed to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: will gets kidnapped again, minor mention of injury, implied torture/pain?, implied homophobia, implied/briefly mentioned abuse
> 
> please let me know if I need to tag anything else :)

Nico grumbles as he ventures out once again. He thought he’d have enough food to last him through the night, but sometimes he ate a little extra just to make himself feel less lonely. Yes, he knew it wasn’t good. But it wasn’t like there was anyone around who could tell him not to, and if they were, they wouldn’t care if he did. He makes sure his door is locked before he heads through the trees.

He glances around, trying to remember where he went just a few days ago. He doesn’t like to follow the same path because then it might be easier to find him. That and it’d be harder to find food if he clears out one area of the forest. So he heads to the left, hoping that he’ll catch a deer tonight. As a little gift to himself because sometimes it’s the small things that keep him going.

He’s about a mile from his house when he hears a snap of a twig. And then he hears the moment that follows. He’s wondering if he’s somehow more hungry than he thought he was (he ate just five hours ago) when he can start to hear breathing that’s not his. It’d creep him out if he weren’t a vampire. They had superior senses of smell and hearing.

But he’s never heard his prey breathe before. He’s pretty sure if he could, he’d never be able to hunt. He likes quick kills, clean and harmless. He pauses, scanning the area to figure out which way he should head. He can hear the breathing still, the heartbeat quick and thrumming with lots of blood, each and every moment. And something almost sickly sweet drenches the air. He’s thrown off guard because Nico’s never smelled this before.

This isn’t the scent of a deer or any other woodland creature. Nico realizes what it is right as it hits him - literally. A human. The human makes an oof noise as he collides with Nico. Nico’s dizzy with every scent, sight, and sound that’s bombarding him. He feels a brush of soft skin, sees something bright and blue, hears the heartbeat quicken yet.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize where I was going,” the human babbles. Nico blinks, trying to clear his mind. He’s never felt so much at once, he doesn’t think. Not even when his father abused him only a hundred years ago. Then he was numb. Now, he’s so, so alive.

The human is standing up now, brushing off his pants. Nico takes one look at him and makes the most impulsive decision he’s ever made. He grabs the human’s arm, his super strength coming in handy as he races towards his house. He doesn’t want to lose whatever this overwhelming feeling is.

Nico hears the human give a shout, and it vibrates inside his head. All of a sudden, he’s assaulted by waves of emotions that aren’t his. Fear, sadness, anger, anxiety. There are more, but he’s too overwhelmed to focus anymore. He barely gets his door unlocked before he throws the human onto the couch.“Stay,” he says. He recovers his breath shortly, and then he can just stare.

The human is huddled up on the couch, his blond curls a mess over his blue eyes. He’s got little dots on his skin that Nico thinks are called freckles. Nico doesn’t think he’s ever seen something so beautiful. His own skin is pale and unmarked. Even if he were to try and mark himself, he would heal too fast to leave a scar. But this human has constellations on his skin.

“Are you going to eat me?” the human asks.

“No,” Nico says. He can’t kill something that makes him feel so alive. That would be murder, right? He doesn’t think he can bear to become numb again. Though, he’s not sure why this human allows him to feel so much. Maybe he’s one of those mirrors that Nico’s heard about. Those that can reflect and amplify emotions and senses. But that would make him not human. And he smells human.

“Um, well, I’m Will,” the human says after a moment. “What’s your name?”

Nico has to sit down. He just now realizes that he didn’t actually get any food to eat. “You can call me Nico.” Since it’s just him now, he’s shortened his given name. And he knows that Will is modern. He doesn’t understand the old languages. He’d probably butcher Nico’s given name. But he’d look beautiful doing it.

That’s what Nico’s decided. Will’s beautiful.  
-  
Will’s not really sure what’s happened. One moment he’s getting kicked out of his house, his parents yelling at his back to never show his face again, and then he’s being kidnapped by a vampire. He’s not complaining. So far, Nico’s been very nice to him. He went out the other night and caught a deer for them to share. Nico got the blood, saving a little so that the meat would be juicy when he cooked it.

They’d sat together by the fire, eating and talking. Will told Nico how he’d been kicked out, and Nico had immediately made up the couch for Will to sleep on, lending him a pillow and some clothes. And now he’s sitting at the kitchen table eating Cheerios. Because, apparently, Nico had gone out while Will was sleeping and gotten some. (He doesn’t ask where from.)

“I’m not going to eat you,” Nico says once more as he sits down. “I already invited you in as a guest, and I don’t eat guests. Or drain their blood.”

Will nods. “Um, thanks.” He doesn’t mention that technically Nico kidnapped him. He’s not about to test Nico’s hospitality.

Nico spreads some jam over a bagel, taking a bite. Will catches himself staring. “I can eat normal food from time to time,” he explains. “I thought it might make you feel better.”

Will smiles. “A little, I guess. But I don’t want you to starve.”

Nico shakes his head. “I won’t starve. I had a lot yesterday.” He pats his stomach in a boyish gesture that endears Will to him even more.

After breakfast, they sneak into Will’s house to get him some of his stuff. Will waits outside while Nico zips in. He doesn’t think about how embarrassing it is that his new vampire friend is now rummaging through his drawers. Nico’s only gone for about twenty minutes before he’s coming back out the back door.

“Thanks,” Will says. Nico nods, smiling.

“I got everything you said. Except for those hideous multi-colored socks you had.” Nico shivers. “I don’t know how you can stand to have so much color on you at one time.”

Will laughs. Nico was rocking the vampire look with black skinny jeans and a black T-shirt. His black hair reached his shoulders in loose waves that Will was jealous of. And his skin was pale like he hardly ever went outside. Which considering how red he was getting now, was probably a good idea to not go in the sun too often.

“I like those rainbow socks,” Will says as they start walking back to Nico’s house. “Although, it is part of the reason my parents kicked me out.”

Nico raises his eyebrows. (Perfectly plucked. Or maybe vampires were just naturally flawless.) “They kicked you out for wearing too many colors?”

Will shrugs, shaking his head. “No, for being gay.”

Nico nods for a moment. “Mine, too. Well, they hated me for being gay. Technically, I ran away.” Will nods. “But what do the colors have to do with that? I mean, I’m gay, and I don’t wear a lot of colors.”

Will laughs softly. “I guess that’s because you’re not caught up with the times, In today’s world, the rainbow is a symbol for people who identify as queer. Or gay, in this case.” Will glances at Nico to see if he understood. He knows there’s more to the rainbow and to the LGBT+ community, but Nico had told him that he was at least one hundred and seventeen years old. So maybe the rainbow hadn’t quite meant the same thing back then. Will wasn’t good at history.

“Oh,” Nico says softly. “So, gay people wear rainbows?

Will shrugs. “They can. I like to. But that’s me. I have a friend who doesn’t, just because he’s more like you. He doesn’t think you should wear so many colors together.”

Nico laughs at this. “You don’t have eyesight like I do. All of those colors is quite a sensory overload.”

Will nods. He wonders if all of the vampire stereotypes are true. He wants to ask, but he’s if that’s insensitive. They make it to Nico’s house, and Nico creates a makeshift room for Will. He blocks a good space in the back of his house as Will’s bedroom, stringing up a curtain around it.

“Thank you,” Will says again. He’s getting emotional over how kind Nico’s being. He startles a bit as Nico sniffs beside him, wiping at his face.

“Excuse me, there’s something in my eye.” Will notes that Nico’s wiping at both eyes, but he doesn’t say anything. When Nico’s gone, he starts moving his clothes into the boxes that Nico found for him. He smiles when he sees that Nico grabbed the string lights above his bed. He sighs.

“Are you okay?” Nico asks gently. He’s peeking through the curtain.“Yeah,” Will sighs. “I mean, I miss them. But I feel like I shouldn’t. Because they kicked me out.” He shrugs. “Maybe they’ll get over it. Or maybe I’ll just move on.”

Nico sits down gently on Will’s mattress. “I’m here for you,” he says.Will can’t imagine being apart from his family for as long as Nico has. Though, he wonders what happened to make Nico run away. He can’t imagine running from his family. Something terrible must have happened.

“So, what do you do with your time? It must be lonely out here.”

Nico shrugs. “I do what I can. I garden. Would you like to to see it?” Will grins.  
-  
Nico’s dizzy with happiness. He doesn’t think he’s ever felt so alive, and it keeps surprising him every day.

They’ve got a routine going. In the morning, they have a leisurely breakfast before spending time in the garden. Nico’s getting greedy for the sight of Will bent over the rows of fruits and vegetables, his curls messy in his face, his slightly out of tune humming.

Nico retires gardening early to make them lunch. A little bread and blood for him, whatever Will desires. Today, he’s making grilled cheese sandwiches. It takes him longer than it needs to because he keeps glancing outside to watch Will work. He almost burns the first sandwich.

He’s a little nervous today because he has a gift for Will. He’s not sure if Will realizes it, but Nico’s been steadily courting Will ever since he figured out that Will is his soulmate. It’s unusual to have a mortal soulmate, but Nico doesn’t care. He’s given enough years to wasting away. If he only has seventy more years, he wants to spend them with Will.

Nico wonders if Will can feel the affects of their destined connection. He’s learning how to understand and deal with Will’s emotions, how to not grow dizzy at Will’s scent. Will doesn’t seem as affected as Nico, but then again, his senses aren’t as strong as Nico’s.

“Smells good, Nico,” Will says as he moves to wash up at the sink. Nico can smell the earth on him, and it’s exciting. He also loves it when Will says his name. “What’s for lunch?”

Nico plates the grilled cheese, quite proud of himself. It’d taken him a bit of time to work out how Will liked his food, but he managed it. Even bought himself some cookbooks. Will grins when he sees the food, and Nico feels the smile in his chest.“I have a present for you,” Nico says.

Will looks at him. “No, Nico. You shouldn’t. I’m the one who’s been crashing at your place for the last two months.” Nico rolls his eyes, smiling. He grabs the box that he’s hidden underneath the table. Will blushes as he takes the gift. “May I get a hint?”

“If you open it, it’ll be a big hint.”

Will laughs as he opens the box. And then his breathing stutters. “Oh, Nico. Really?” He blinks away tears as he pulls out a pair of rainbow socks.  
“Do you like them?” Will nods, and Nico can feel his happiness. “Good. I got myself a pair, too.” Will laughs when he sees Nico’s socks. Nico feels giddy, too. They have matching socks.

“Nico,” Will says, his breath hitting Nico’s cheeks. Nico’s not sure when Will got so close. “I love them,” he whispers.

“Yeah?” Nico asks. Will nods, his lips dipping to touch Nico’s. And they’re kissing.

Nico’s never felt undead before; he’s always been in perfect shape. His super speed and strength hardly ever tire him out. But this kiss, this one kiss, leaves him breathless. He kisses Will back, pushing against his lips, his hand reaching up to cup Will’s face. He traces the freckles, runs his fingers through the curls that he always imagined touching.

“Mine,” he growls. “You’re mine, Will.” He can feel his fangs extending into his mouth, and he has to pull back or risk biting Will. (Even just brushing against his fangs could draw blood, and Nico’s not taking any risks.)

“Nico?” Will asks. He doesn’t sound scared, but his voice trembles a bit. “Your eyes are red. Kind of.”

Nico pulls back more. He’s trying to resist the urge to bite Will, to mark him as his. He’s never felt this compulsion before, and it takes him by surprise. “Sorry,” Nico mumbles.

Will reaches out, cupping his face gently after a moment of pause. “I’m not scared, Nico. I know you’re in control of your instincts. You could have bitten me anytime, and you haven’t.”

Nico looks at him. “Except for that time I kidnapped you because I didn’t know what to do with my feelings.”

Will laughs, pulling Nico close for another kiss. “I’d say I was upset, but maybe you can make up for it with another kiss.”

Nico rolls his eyes, kissing Will’s cheek. He’ll kiss Will however many times he asks for it.  
-  
Nico’s pacing around the room, and Will’s pretty sure he might just walk right through a wall with how distracted he is. Absently, he fingers the black rose that’s spreading over his collarbones. He remembers when it first appeared, the night after Nico first Marked him.

It hadn’t been as painful as Will thought it would be. It was like getting a shot at first, just a focused sting. And then something like pleasure blossomed along his neck, down his spine. Nico said Will had moaned. Will only remembers blacking out for a bit, overwhelmed with so many emotions. When he’d come to, Nico had a few tears leaking from his eyes, brushing back Will’s hair.

The next night, the rose had grown from the small punctures. At first, it was a bud, dark like ink spreading across Will’s skin. Now, it was a rose in full bloom. Will thinks that if his parents knew, he wouldn’t be able to tell what they would be most horrified about: the tattoo or the fact that he was dating a vampire. Or maybe still the fact that it was a male vampire.

“What’s wrong?” Will asks for the fifth time.

Nico turns to face him. “My father has called a meeting of sorts, and I am to attend.” He turns to pace again, but he stops. “And you should come. Because I don’t want you to stay here. But these vampires can be dangerous. Not all agree that vampires and mortals can co-exist.”

Will nods slowly. “But if I came with you, you would be there to protect me. If I stayed alone, I would be defenseless.”

Nico sighs. “Yes. But I can’t help feel like it’s a trap.”

Will gets up, wrapping his arms around Nico. “I’ll be okay. You’ve taught me all of the protections, and I’ll have you. Maybe your father just wants your opinion on something. Or maybe he’s sorry for kicking you out all those years ago.”

Nico shrugs. “Maybe. Either way, I have to go. He’s summoned all of the important people, and it’d be unwise to decline his invitation.”

They packed their bags, and then Nico was whisking Will away to wherever the vampires hid out. It turned out to be another forest, close to the edge of a small town. They checked into the hotel, and Will’s heart starts beating quicker. He keeps catching second-too-long glances out of the corner of his eye, and it occurs to him that this is a vampire town. He’s the only mortal around.

“Just keep a low profile and stay with me,” Nico says softly. He squeezes Will’s hand. He’s laid down strict PDA rules to protect Will from any outside attention. Gay vampires weren’t exactly common, and it was even more uncommon to mate with a human.

“Ah, Nico,” a tall man greets as they head into the lobby. Will can’t help but stare at this man. He’s the picture of elegance, tall and thin with delicate features. “I see you’ve brought him.”

“Yes, Father,” Nico says. “I felt it wise.”

Nico’s father smiles, showing off his sharp teeth. “Yes, of course.” He pauses. “Well, I don’t have to tell you that humans are not allowed in the sacred room. He’ll have to entertain himself while you’re in the meetings. I assume he brought his books and puzzles.”

Nico growls at this, fangs flashing. “He’s not a child, Father,” Nico says. “But, yes, he’ll be fine to keep himself busy.” Nico glances at Will while his father laughs quietly.

“Forgive me. He is but a child to me. Like even you are a child to me, and you are several decades older than him.” Nico’s eyes flash.

“Excuse us, Father. I need to take him back up to our room if he is not allowed to attend the meetings.” Will can feel Nico’s father’s gaze on him.

“I shall take him up. After all, it’s the least I can do.” Nico takes a protective grip of Will’s hand. “Now, now, Nico. Let’s not make a fuss. I can smell him all over you and you on him. I know how attached you are to him. I promise I’ll take good care of him.”

It’s clear that Nico doesn’t believe his father, but he can’t exactly say no. For a moment, Will feels Nico’s anger rise in him, but it’s quickly calmed.“I’ll come right back to the room when I’m done,” Nico says, turning to Will. Will nods. While he doesn’t trust Nico’s father, he’s sure he’ll be okay. The meeting can’t be too long, right? Nico turns to his father. “Don’t you dare touch him.”

His father smiles, something closer to sinister rather than charming. Will’s heartbeat quickens. Then Nico’s being swept away, and a cold hand clamps down around his wrist. He blows a silent kiss towards Nico’s back, praying that they’ll both be okay.

“I’m Hades,” the vampire says once they get back to Nico and Will’s room. “That is what you’ll call me.”“Yes, sir,” Will says. He’s familiar with authority figures asserting their authority. The only difference was that usually, they didn’t have fangs and glowing, red eyes. Will tries his best to keep his voice from shaking. Nico had said once that vampires could sense fear. Not in the way that the emotion found them, but that they could sense the quickening of the pulse, the breathing, sense the body temperature.

“I’m only going to say this once,” Hades continues. “I disagree with many things my son does. But I will not allow this one. Vampires do not have mortal mates, however mislead my son feels. So either you leave immediately or I’ll seek other arrangements.”

Despite Will’s best efforts, he’s a little frightened at this point. He scratches at his neck, taking deep breaths while he tries to figure this out. He doesn’t want to put Nico in any danger, and he doesn’t want to keep himself in danger. But he can’t just leave Nico. He’s never felt for anyone what he’s felt for Nico. He can’t just walk away from that.

“What is that?” Hades snatches Will’s arm, leaving claw marks on his wrist. His eyes narrow as he moves closer to Will’s neck. While Nico had told him the neck thing was mostly just due to an easy access point, it still made Will nervous whenever someone was close to his neck. He feels a sharp poke along his neck. “He’s Marked you,” Hades growls.

He flings Will to the ground before rushing out of the room. Will only has time to think about trying to escape before two vampires are on him. They wrestle him to the ground, one holding him down while the other injects something into his leg.

“Filthy human,” one sneers. Will struggles to fight them off, but they’re stronger than him. One tsks at him, spitting on his face. Will blinks. The room is getting fuzzier. Or maybe he’s just hit his head too hard? “Be good, human. The Master may find you entertaining.”

Will makes a silent plea, trying to let Nico know he’s in trouble. He’s struggling to stay conscious, sleep getting closer and closer. He feels the pinpricks of pain along his leg and on his chest. And then all is gone.  
-  
Nico is furious. And worried sick. He’s had to close his connection to Will’s emotions because they’re too overwhelming. Wave after wave of fear and anxiety, sadness, sickness. It’s too much for Nico to focus on when he’s trying to find Will. He’s tried to trace Will’s scent, but his father must have somehow masked it. All that’s left is a faint scent on Will’s pillow and clothes.

It’s almost like Will’s up and disappeared.

“I told you humans are finicky,” Hades says. “Commitment is not a thing they believe in. Weddings and divorce are meaningless to them. They believe in true love, yet they can’t stay with one person for too long or they cheat on their partners. I’m only protecting you.”

“Like you did when you beat me up every other day?” Nico asks.

“You believe too much in humanity, my son. Vampires are old creatures. We do not need humans to survive. In fact, they are wiping us out. Killing us, our food, our civilizations. They are a plague across our land. To tie yourself to one is mere foolishness.”

Nico shakes his head. He has to catch his breath as a wave of fear hits him. It’s not his. “Father, I love him,” Nico says. He knows the words won’t mean anything to Hades, but he has to try. “Didn’t you love, Mama?”

Hades shields his gaze. “I do. And you know why she is not here with us today.” He levels a glare at Nico. Nico knows the story. He’s grown up with it. His mother killed by humans during a hunting party. “Humans are reckless and stupid to ways that are not their own making. They take what is not theirs.”

“Will isn’t like that,” Nico says. Will was light, everything Nico thought himself incapable of. “He’s sweet and funny and kind. He takes care of me when I’m sick.”

Hades scoffs. “Out of fear. He knows you could kill him with one bite.”

“If you’re so angry about me Marking Will, why are you punishing him? Why not me?”

Hades smiles, all teeth pointy. “I know how much he means to you. He will not have long to live, but you do. And I know you’ll remember this lesson for the rest of your life.” Hades sweeps out of the room, and Nico falls to his knees as he tries to sense where Will is.

He has to carefully deflect the waves of emotions, the bursts of pain. Will’s always been an open book, so trusting and pure. Nico can’t lose him. He focuses, trying to get a general location or any details at all. He and Will should have done more training with their connection, but Nico never thought he’d have to use it for this purpose.

It takes him three more days to work out any details, and it leaves him exhausted. If he’s this tired, he can’t imagine what state Will is in. He packs his bags that night, leaving before his father can figure out what he’s doing. He knows because of their distant relationship, his father isn’t as keen to his smell. And he’s never been more thankful.

It takes him another day or two before he finds Will, opening up the connection to send Will what is hopefully calming emotions. He’s in a shabby apartment building. Nico can smell other vampires nearby. From the outside, the place looks normal. On the inside, he can see that the place has been gutted out to fulfill whatever it’s newfound need is.

The first two floors are still apartments, but the third floor is some kind of meeting room. He recognizes the scents from older rituals, ones he never agreed with. Upon investigating, he picks up the scent of Will’s blood. While he’s never tasted any, he knows that sweet, hungry scent anywhere. He follows it to the fifth floor where he find a maze of rooms.

“Now, where do you think you’re going?” comes a voice. He turns to find a younger vampire, probably hired to guard this place.

“I came because I heard there was a human around,” Nico says. It’s not a complete lie. The vampire looks at him, assessing him. Nico straightens himself up, pulling on the face that he knows his father wears when he needs to demand authority. “I wish to see him.”

The younger vampire nods quickly. “Of course, of course,” he babbles as he leads Nico through the hallways. Just as they turn the last corner, Nico’s never beating heart, stops beating. Because there’s Will, almost a ghost himself. He’s slumped onto the ground, his skin pale, littered in scratches. His clothes are torn, and his hair hangs in limp curls. Nico can detect the slightest heartbeat, and he feels relieved. Because Will’s still alive.

“Untie him,” Nico demands. The younger vampire shakes his head.

“I’m under strict orders not to,” he says quietly. “Master Hades would have a stake in my heart if I did so.”

“A stake through the heart would kill anyone,” Nico growls. “Untie him!”

“Why don’t we have a chat first?” comes a deeper voice. The young vampire makes a squeaking noise before disappearing down the hall. Nico turns to his father. “I knew you’d find this place sooner or later.” He sighs. “For better or worse.”

He starts down the hall, and Nico follows, glancing back at Will. He’s hardly moved since they were standing there, just the ever slow rise and fall of his chest. Nico’s heart aches. Hades leads him to a kitchen where he prepares himself a vial of blood.

“Want anything? Ginger ale?” Nico shakes his head. “I’m trying to cut back. The doctor says the bubbles aren’t good for me. But they are so good, you know.” Nico sighs.

“What I want is my boyfriend back,” Nico says, still standing. Hades takes a seat, stirring his blood. He always liked to make a show of drinking it. “Please,” Nico adds.

Hades’s eyebrows raise. “You care about him that much?” Nico nods. He loves Will. “I’m running out of use for him. Humans only have so much life in them. It’s a shame you won’t the around for the next millennial.”“I don’t care,” Nico says. “If I’m to spend it like you do, I don’t want any part of it.”

Hades hums. He takes a sip. “Very well. I suppose you can have your human back. But be warned. You will not be accepted with the likes of us. We will always remember how you betrayed us, Nico. Turned your backs to us. And don’t come crawling back if he leaves you or when you’re turning to ash because he’s dead.”

“I’d rather die than stay here with you,” Nico growls. He hears his father laugh, but he’s already running towards Will. His father watches as he pries the ropes from Will’s arms and ankles. They leave chafe marks that Nico tries to soothe with a kiss. Will whimpers.

“It’s okay, sunshine. I’m here. You’re safe now,” Nico whispers. He brushes back Will’s hair, kissing his face. He wishes he’d thought to bring some salve with him. Carefully, he picks Will up, cradling his head to his chest. He can feel Will’s heartbeat now, hanging on. “We’re going home now, Will.”He walks past his father, Will close to his chest.

As soon as he gets home, he sticks Will in the bath. It’s a long process to get Will clean, even though Nico’s added helping properties to the water. Will whimpers and groans every time Nico runs the cloth over his skin, every time he has to move. Nico has to force feed him and spread the salve across his skin. Then he lays Will in their bed, only a sheet over him.

He holds Will’s hands, chanting healing hymns he learned as a child. He’s not sure if they work on humans, but he’s got to try. Will looks so lifeless. Hours go by, and then days. Nico listens attentively to his heartbeat, to his breathing. He taps into their connection to see where it hurts. He reads Will stories and tells him about their garden. He cooks soup for him, hardly ever leaving his side.

On the third week, he wakes to Will’s voice. “Nico?” He thinks he’s going to cry when he sees Will’s blue eyes focused on him for the first time since he thought he’d lost him.

“I’m here, sunshine. You’re safe now. No more pain.” Will closes his eyes, letting out a long breath. Nico crushes him in the gentlest hug he can give him. “I’ve got you, Will. And I’m not letting you go again. I promise.”

He feels Will’s tears more than sees them, the relief and pain pouring out of Will as he cries.

Will cries, “You’re here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> continuation: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15671829/chapters/36752697


	6. forever with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (marriage/engagement of sorts fic - technically not either)
> 
> still vampire Nico (part 1 is the previous chapter)
> 
> Nico loves Will. It's Will's birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first part: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15671829/chapters/36728118

Nico’s smiles when he walks into the bedroom. Will’s still sleeping, his curls falling into his face, a lazy smile buried into the pillow. Nico sits gently on the bed, setting the tray beside him. Will shifts slowly, pulling the blankets up to his chest as he curls around Nico’s body. Nico has to resist the urge to lay down and cuddle with Will. Any other morning he would, but not this morning.

“Nico,” Will groans, and that about does it. “Cuddle,” Will demands in his soft sleepy voice. He reaches out, trying to find Nico and tug him down.

“If we cuddled, you’d miss breakfast,” Nico says. He’s pretty proud of himself, that he forced himself out of bed and made breakfast. Usually, he and Will have to convince each other to get out of bed. And then it’s a race to the bathroom. Because they both like long, hot showers. (And hot water is kind of a luxury out in the woods.)

“What’s for breakfast?” Will asks, popping an eye open. Nico smiles, leaning down to kiss Will’s lips. He loves the slow, steady heartbeat of Will just waking up. If he ever has trouble falling asleep, he’ll press his ear to Will’s chest and his heartbeat will lull Nico to sleep. Now, he just shifts so that Will can see the tray full of food.

He’s made eggs and pancakes and orange juice. Will’s looking more awake now, possibly drooling a little bit as he takes in the assortment. “For me?” he asks. Nico nods. Will moves to sit up, leaning close to Nico to hug him.

“Happy birthday, Will.” Will beams before digging into his eggs.

While Will’s eating, Nico takes a moment to just stare at his boyfriend. His freckled cheeks were now tanned and pink with a morning blush. His curls are floppy and messy, and he’s steadily making his through breakfast. He stops halfway through his pancakes, looking at Nico.

“Oh, was this also for you?”

Nico laughs. “No. I’m just having some bread.”“And blood,” Will adds. “Because you haven’t had any for a while.”

Nico rolls his eyes. It’s endearing that Will keeps track of when Nico needs blood. The longest he could go without having any was about four days. Then he would start feeling the effects: dizziness, drowsiness, impaired senses.

“Of course, sunshine.” He goes to retrieve the mug that Will got for him at a yard sale. It’s just black with little bunnies on it. Will thought it was funny. Will watches him for a moment before returning to his breakfast.

Only a few months ago, Will had been on the brink of death. And now he was back to being a fully functioning human. Which was more than Nico could say for himself. But he was proud of himself for nurturing Will back to health. He feels himself smile when he sees that black rose peeking out from underneath Will’s shirt. It’s forever in bloom these days, not all wilted like it had been when Nico had just rescued Will.

Those were the scariest days of his life. When Nico had actually considered Turning Will as a way to save him. Nico’s glad he didn’t have to resort to that. Not that being a vampire would make Will less himself, but it’d take away some of the qualities that Nico loved about him: the way his skin tanned in the sun, his freckles, the cute blushes he got every time they were affectionate. (That and consent is important, and Will wasn’t in any condition to give it.)

“What’re you smiling about?” Will asks. He’s finished his breakfast, and he’s leaning in for another kiss. Or two. Or five. However many. Today’s his birthday, and Nico’s going to let Will know he’s special. Even if that means putting up with morning breath.

“You,” Nico says when Will pulls back. “I’m smiling because I love you.”

Will blushes a light pink, and Nico grins, leaning in for another kiss. It was so easy to make Will blush, and he was so adorable when he did. Of course, he was always adorable. They kiss for a couple more minutes, and Nico laughs when Will whines.

“We’ve got other things to do, William,” Nico teases. Will pouts, slumping down into the bed a bit. “We can’t spend all day in bed.”

“Why not?” Will asks. “It’s so comfy here. And there’s food. And you’ve got blood.” Nico blushes at that. He’s definitely had his fill of blood this morning. “I promise that wasn’t a suggestion. I just meant that we could cuddle more,” Will continues on.

“But then we’d miss all of the fun stuff planned.”

Will looks at him curiously. “But it’s daytime. You’re going to get a sunburn.” Nico shrugs. He’d endure a lot more than sunburns to make Will smile, but the concern is nice. “And you’re not endangering yourself again, Nico. Once was enough.”

Nico smiles, pulling Will close. He knows Will’s still working through being kidnapped. And whatever else happened. Nico’s only gotten some of the bigger details, and that’s bad enough. He’s not sure he could stomach knowing anything worse.

“Well, I was thinking that we’d go to a bowling alley. I know you’ve talked about wanting to do that. And then I have a surprise for tonight.”  
Will nods slowly, smiling. “What I’m hearing is that there’s plenty of time to cuddle. Bowling only takes about two hours.” Nico rolls his eyes, but he lets Will wrap his arms around him, pulling him close.

“I love you, Will.”

Will kisses the back of Nico’s neck, and he shivers. “I love you, too.” He kisses Nico again. “I think you’re fang-tastic.” Nico groans, pretending to try and get up. Will tightens his arms just a bit, and Nico can’t help but laugh. He’s pretty sure Will somehow comes up with these awful puns while they’re working in the garden. But he can’t hide that he not-so-secretly likes them.

“Remind me again why we’re dating?”

Will looks at Nico smiling. “Because you couldn’t control yourself when you met me.” Nico sighs. He has yet to live down their first encounter. He’s not ashamed that he kidnapped Will, but he definitely wasn’t thinking straight then. (And he has yet to think straight since Will stuck around.)

“But you stayed. And I think it might have something to do with the fact that you find me irresistible.” Will laughs, kissing Nico on the lips.

“Can’t deny that, darling.” Nico’s heart beats faster. He loves that pet name, especially how it just rolls off of Will’s tongue. “Do I get a cake today? Since it’s my birthday.”

Nico snorts. “So demanding. I guess we’ll see.”

They end up spending the rest of the morning in bed, and neither of them really mind.  
-  
Bowling with Nico is way more fun than bowling with anyone else probably would be. Will’s been bowling once, when he was invited to a birthday party, the kind where everyone in the class is also invited. But it’d been fun, and Will had begged his parents to take him bowling again. But they never got around to it.

“So, the whole idea is to just throw this ball at the pin things and knock them over?” Nico asks. He’s eyeing the ball and then the pins. He’s cradling it like a baby, and Will thinks it’s adorable. “I don’t understand humans.”

Will lets out a laugh, not caring that other people are looking at him. “How about I go first?” Will asks. “And then you just copy what I do.”

He hasn’t been bowling in years, so he’s not sure how well this will work out. But he hopes he at least knocks down some pins. After all, he can’t be worse than someone who’s never played. Of course, he’s not sure what kind of supernatural abilities Nico has that might help him win.

Will winces a little as the ball bounces once before rollings down the lane. He’s insisted that they get the railings so ensure no gutter balls, and he’s not ashamed that he needs them. Even though there’s a six-year-old kid in the lane next to them that is getting strikes like no one’s business.

“Like that?” Nico asks after Will’s gotten his two tries. “I was expecting more like a toss.” Will shakes his head.

“I guess it’s more like a push. You’re guiding the ball down the lane.” Nico nods at this, setting the ball on the ground before pushing it. It rolls a little way before bumping the railings. It’s slow going, but eventually, it knocks down one pin.

“Sort of like that,” Will says. “You want a little more force, though.”

Nico nods. This time the ball goes zooming down the lane. Will blinks, and then the ball is crashing into the pins. “Maybe not as much?” Nico asks. It’s clear he’s trying to hold back a laugh, and Will is, too.“Yeah. Maybe like human strength.” He looks around to make sure no one else saw that. He doesn’t want to get kicked out of the bowling alley.

They play two games, and Nico ends up winning both with his granny-push method. Will thinks it’s because of his superior strength. If Will started working out, he might be better at bowling. He’s not sure if it’s worth it, though. They get cheap bowling alley food and split it while they watch everyone else bowl.

“So, fries is a meal?” Nico asks. He’s carefully dipping his fry into each of the sauces, trying them all. They also ordered a few pizza slices to split.

“It can be,” Will says. “Humans make everything a meal. Like, chips can be a meal. But it’s not all that healthy.”

Nico stops eating before Will does, but Will’s used to eating more than Nico. He guesses it’s the blood and the fact that Nico’s technically dead. He doesn’t mind too much, though in the beginning, he had to wonder if he was just fat.

After eating, they take a walk through the woods. It’s shaded enough that they don’t have to worry about Nico burning. They hold hands, and Will can feel the ghost of a flutter that tells him Nico’s loving this. He’s gotten more used to sharing emotions with Nico. He still hasn’t learned how to control how much he lets Nico feel or how to interpret the nuances of the feelings, but he’s getting better.

The first few weeks, he had a lot of nightmares, and he always worried about disturbing Nico’s sleep. He knew Nico slept less than him (especially during those weeks), and he didn’t want to be a burden. But Nico had told him that he blocked the emotions, wanting Will to open up when he was ready and not because Nico had a window inside his head.

So he woke to hot tea and warmed up buttered bread and Nico ready to listen or just cuddle. And it was nice. Will’s still not ready to share everything, even months after the incident. Part of it, he’s hidden away in the back of his mind, just catching flashes of it when a memory is triggered.

“Hey, you okay?” Nico asks softly. He strokes Will’s hand, gazing up at him.

“Oh, yeah,” Will says. “Just zoned out.” Nico nods. He never pushes Will to talk before he’s ready, something Will is grateful for. He’s still not sure about everything that happened to him. Sometimes, he’ll catch a scar in the mirror and wonder where it came from. He doesn’t remember all of his injuries.

“Do you like it here?” Nico asks.

“Yeah, it’s amazing,” Will says. He loves the forest, waking up next to Nico, gardening in the mornings. It’s like a life he had only dreamed of, and now he was living it. “Why? Do you not like it here?”

Nico smiles, turning to look at him. “I have lived here for the last eighty or so years,” Nico says. “I even put up enchantments so that no one would be able to find me.” He blushes. “Of course, then I go crashing into you, and that all changes.”

“What are you saying?” Will’s not sure if this is some break-up speech or Nico’s way of saying life is better now.

“We could move. If you wanted to. Get out of here, find another forest to haunt.” He laughs. “I don’t care where I am as long as I’m with you, Will.”

Will’s not sure what to say. He can feel both his and Nico’s emotions rising in him. “Who knew vampires were so cheesy,” Will says.

Nico rolls his eyes. “I’m the exception,” he says. “Most aren’t.” He stops them for a moment, so that he can stand on his tiptoes and kiss Will’s lips. Will’s heart flutters. He feels Nico’s fingers trace the black rose over his collarbones.

“You’re beautiful,” Nico whispers. Will blushes, not used to Nico’s compliments just yet. He tips his head down to kiss Nico’s cheek. “And you should shave,” he adds, pulling back. “Your face is getting all scratchy.”

Will lets out a laugh. “Are all vampires hairless or is it just you?”

“I have hair, thank you,” Nico says. “Just not all over my face and chest.” He pokes Will’s chest for emphasis, though Will didn’t have much hair on his chest either. “I’m a vampire. Not a werewolf. We are sleek and elegant.”

Will rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling. “Fine, I’ll shave,” he says. “But are you sure you don’t want a bearded boyfriend?”

Nico makes a face, his nose wrinkling up. “Definitely not. Don’t you dare stab me with your stubble again.” Will tries to grab Nico now, puckering his lips, but Nico manages to escape. They chase each other through the forest, laughing and shouting at each other. Nico lets himself be caught a few times, but he always escapes at the last minute.

Eventually, Will starts slowing down. He doesn’t have super strength or speed, and his heart is working overtime to pump an adequate amount of blood into his body. He stops, hidden behind one of their corn plants, waiting for Nico to come along. He can hear him, laughing and crashing through the forest in a way that tells Will he’s being carefree.

He’s a blur as he goes by, but Will manages to catch him, throwing them both to the ground. Nico lets out a squeal when Will crashes their lips together. And then they’re laughing and kissing, and Nico’s trying to tickle Will.

Will couldn’t have ever imagined being this happy.  
-  
Nico’s nervous. It’s finally time for his surprise. Will’s holding his hand as they trek through the forest. They’re heading to a clearing that Nico had found years ago on a summer night that feels so far away from now. Then, he had been a lonely vampire, just trying to survive. And now he had Will to share his world with.

“Where are we going?” Despite the summer night, Will’s wearing a sweater decorated with baby ducks, and Nico thinks it’s adorable. Will trips over an exposed root, and Nico catches him. In this light, Will looks magical. The full moon catches the golden color of his curls, the blue of his eyes, his smile. He is radiant.

Nico can tell when Will sees the clearing. He lets out a breath of air, suddenly still in the night. Nico smiles, leading Will to a blanket he’s set out. They sit down, and Nico watches as Will tries to take everything in. There isn’t anything technically magical about this place, but it feels magical, everything so alive and full of breath.

“Wow,” Will says finally. “It’s beautiful.”

Nico feels his heart flutter, so full of everything that they’re both feeling. He can feel Will’s pulse in his hand, against his side, in his heart. He’s never imagined being so close to someone.

“I made a wish here once,” Nico starts softly. “A few years ago. That I wouldn’t be so lonely. Vampires live almost forever, and there’s nothing as lonely as living forever by yourself. So I made a wish that I would either die soon or that someone would come into my life.” He thinks he’s crying now, and he knows Will is.

“And then I literally crashed into you,” Nico says. “You’re beautiful and radiant, and I want to give you the world, Will.” He pulls a slim, silver ring out of his pocket. “I know it’s only been a year, so I’m not proposing. But I know that I’m never going to find anyone else who can make me as happy as you can.”

He’s definitely crying now.

“So, I have this promise ring.” He looks into Will’s eyes. “I promise to give you the world, Will, and all of my love. From this day to forever.”

Will holds out his hand, the other covering his mouth. “Nico,” he breathes as Nico slides the ring onto his finger. “I love you,” he manages.

Nico chokes out a laugh, pulling Will close to him. He can smell the minty-ness of Will’s soap, the evening dew, the salty tears. He kisses Will’s cheek.

“And forever?” Will asks. “How long is that?”

Nico smiles. “However long you want.” Maybe one day, they’ll discuss if Will wants to be Turned. But right now, Nico’s just thankful for however many years he’ll have. Because he knows that he’s never going to live a day without Will in his life. So on the day Will dies, he’ll turn to ash. Or maybe they’ll never die, and their love will be legendary.

He thinks that might be a nice middle finger to their parents. But whatever comes their way, Nico’s going to face it with Will by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> comments are appreciated :)


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